We describe an evaluation of the techniques aiming to reduce the bulk of inferior turbinates with the diode laser and the CO2 laser, as well as a comparison between the techniques. STUDY DESIGN: Longitudinal Cohort. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Sixty patients with turbinate hypertrophy were submitted to the submucous diode laser reduction and CO2 with a follow up period of 6 months following a established protocol concerning pain, bleeding and subjective evaluation of the nasal obstruction preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS: The procedures showed a low level of bleeding and no packing was necessary in all patients. We observed that the patients were very pleased concerning the nasal obstruction postoperatively. CONCLUSION: The primary goal of the inferior turbinectomy is to reduce the patient complain of nasal obstruction with less discomfort, morbidity and complications during and after the procedure. The laser reduction showed in this study good results in a 6-month follow up. Further studies must be done to evaluate the results in a longer follow up.
Turbinectomy; laser; nose
