Randomized Trial Comparing Partial Resection of Inferior Turbinate(PRIT) and Radiofrequency Ablation(RFA) for Inferior Turbinate Reduction

Turbinates are large structures in the nasal airway that help the nose to clean and humidify the air we breathe. Inferior turbinates can swell up and block the breathing passage, making it hard to breath. To address this, turbinate size must be reduced. This study looks at two common procedures for turbinate reduction: 1. Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) involves inserting a special needle into the inferior (lower) turbinate that releases thermal energy, which significantly reduces its size. This can be done under local anesthesia at the doctor's office. 2. Partial Resection of Inferior Turbinate (PRIT) involves surgically removing a piece off the turbinate, which also reduces its size. While both procedures improve nasal obstruction, no study has directly compared which is more effective. Eighty patients being treated for septal deformity and turbinate hypertrophy will be randomly chosen for either PRIT or RFA treatment. They will fill out a simple, five question survey that measures how they view their nasal blockage 4 times in one year. We believe that since PRIT permanently removes a part of the turbinate, PRIT patients will report more improvement than RFA patients one year later. We believe that complications (measured by the doctor) will be the same for both treatments.