Prediction of outcome of radiofrequency ablation of the inferior turbinates

Background Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the turbinates is used commonly for nasal obstruction; however, there is no consensus on patient selection for this surgery. Methods In a prospective clinical study, 53 adult subjects with bilateral turbinate hypertrophy were evaluated subjectively and objectively with anterior rhinomanometry at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months post‐RFA of turbinates. Results RFA of the turbinates resulted in a significant decrease in predecongestant and postdecongestant visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and resistance measurements at postoperative months 1, 3, and 6 (p < 0.001 for all). Preoperative baseline subjective response to the decongestant showed a positive correlation with postoperative first month subjective and objective outcome (p < 0.05). Preoperative baseline objective response to the decongestant showed a highly significant correlation with postoperative 1‐month, 3‐month, and 6‐month objective outcomes of surgery (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusion Objective measures do not correlate with long‐term subjective satisfaction even when the nose is objectively patent in subjects who underwent inferior turbinate RFA. The patients’ long‐term subjective benefit from RFA surgery cannot be estimated after a rhinomanometry with topical decongestion is performed. Performing a rhinomanometry with topical decongestion may help only to estimate the patients’ objective benefit from RFA surgery.