A Prospective Comparative Evaluation of ‘Microdebrider Assisted’ and ‘Coblation Assisted’ Turbinoplasty

Introduction: Turbinate reduction should pay attention to enlarged submucosal tissue as well as bone. “Both coblation and microdebrider-assisted turbinoplasty alleviate nasal obstruction while maintaining the mucosa.” Aim: The objective was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of ‘Microdebrider-Assisted’ Turbinoplasty (‘MAT’) and ‘Coblation-Assisted’ Turbinoplasty (‘CAT’) in managing hypertrophied ‘inferior turbinate’. Material and Methods: Out of 280 total patients, 140 underwent ‘CAT’ and 140 underwent ‘MAT’. Results were measured using ‘Visual Analogue Scale’ and ‘saccharin test’. Results: Mean age was 33.2 ± 5.66 years, with a female-to-male ratio of 1.8:1. The mean postoperative ‘VAS’ score for ‘nasal obstruction’, ‘sneezing’, ‘rhinorrhea’ and ‘snoring’ at 2 years was different significantly (p<0.05) in both the study groups. ‘MAT’ demonstrated superior long-term symptom control and mucociliary clearance compared to ‘CAT’. Complications such as mucosal tears, crusting and nasal dryness were more frequent in the ‘MAT’ group, but no atrophic rhinitis occurred in either group. Conclusion: Both can effectively alleviate nasal obstruction while preserving turbinate function, although long-term outcomes appear more favorable with MAT.