This site does not provide
medical advice. If you think you may have a medical emergency,
call your doctor or 911 immediately.
The
website is created and sponsored by Medtronic ENT as an
informational and educational resource for the general public.
The medical information contained within this website has been
reviewed to ensure its accuracy. Medtronic ENT has a financial
interest in the products sold in this medical field.
Surgical Complications
Complications associated with
inferior turbinate surgery include bleeding, crusting, dryness,
and scarring. If you undergo an inferior turbinate reduction,
your doctor may prescribe a spray or watery solution to relieve
dryness and aid in healing. There is generally less risk of
serious complications today than in the past, when inferior
turbinates were extensively cut out, sometimes causing excessive
crusting and nasal dysfunction.
Surface "scoring" techniques
Some surgeons employ techniques that shrink the turbinate from the outside. Effectively the turbinate mucosa is "scored" on its surface using either a laser, cryo (cold) therapy, or electrocautery to shrink the underlying tissue.
The goal of these techniques is, of course, to reduce the turbinate size. Yet by their very nature, all of these methods damage the surface lining, which leads to poor mucus secretion and dryness/crusting.
