SEPTOPLASTY WITH TURBINOPLASTY- IS IT ESSENTIAL: INFERIOR TURBINATE EVALUATION AND ITS ROLE IN DECIDING SURGICAL TREATMENT MODALITY IN PATIENTS WITH DEVIATED NASAL SEPTUM

In patients with nasal obstruction and anterior septal deviation, a common finding is compensatory inferior turbinate hypertrophy on the contralateral side.It has been seen in the past studies that patients undergoing septoplasty without turbinoplasty had no benefits from the surgery because of relocation of septum towards the mid line and further reduction in the nasal airway patency on the opposite side. It had always been a subject of debate whether to add turbinopalsty to standard procedure of septoplasty and if to perform turbinoplasty then what surgery to perform i.e., whether to reduce the mucosal component or reduce the bony component. To the best of my knowledge, the present study is first to uncover the dimensions and composition of the hypertrophic and the control inferior turbinate by computed tomography (CT) and use acoustic rhinometry to compare the nasal resistance pre op and post op Such novel data can help the otolaryngologist to determine whether to add turbinectomy to standard septoplasty procedure, as well as which type of surgery (submucous resection, partial or complete turbinectomy, anteroinferior turbiinectomy or total turbinectomy).