Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Surgical Interventions on the Inferior Turbinates



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Abstract

A large number of variants of reduction surgery on the inferior turbinates testify to the enduring interest in this problem. Surgery of the inferior turbinates has been known since the end of the 19th century and is widely used both as an independent intervention and in combination with operations on the paranasal sinuses, septoplasty, rhinoplasty, and procedures aimed at widening the pyriform aperture. The complexity of surgical treatment for hypertrophy of the inferior turbinates lies in the necessity of simultaneously solving two tasks: on the one hand, maximal widening of the nasal passages to eliminate the symptoms of nasal obstruction; on the other, preservation of the functions of the nasal cavity mucosa, determined by its anatomical and physiological features.

This work presents a systematic review of various methods of reduction surgery of the inferior turbinates, taking into account their advantages and disadvantages. The aim of the review is to assess the effectiveness of various surgical methods for reduction of the inferior turbinates based on an analysis of studies presented in the PubMed and RSCI databases from 1979 to 2025.

Among the described methods, there is no unanimous opinion on the most effective method for achieving long-term results. The choice of the method for reduction surgery of the inferior turbinates depends on the surgeon's preferences, working conditions, and economic accessibility. Additional research is necessary to determine whether there are clinically meaningful differences in long-term outcomes or complications depending on the technique.

About the authors

Irina B. Angotoeva

Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education

Email: angotoeva@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6247-619X
SPIN-code: 7660-5674

MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine), Assistant Professor

Russian Federation, Moscow

Valentin I. Popadyuk

Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia

Email: lorval04@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3309-4683
SPIN-code: 6284-8040

MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Professor

Russian Federation, Moscow

Dmitrii S. Pshennikov

Ryazan State Medical University named after Academician I.P. Pavlov

Author for correspondence.
Email: pshennikovd@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1779-8341
SPIN-code: 7294-5879

MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine), Assistant Professor

Russian Federation, Ryazan

Sergei V. Frolov

Dmitry Rogachev National Medical Research Center for Children's Hematology, Oncology and Immunology

Email: frolov.lor@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6915-9648
SPIN-code: 2099-5477

MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine), Assistant Professor

Russian Federation, Moscow

Nadezhda V. Feshkina

Ryazan State Medical University named after Academician I.P. Pavlov

Email: nadin__92@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0001-0143-0331
SPIN-code: 7700-9213

MD

Russian Federation, Ryazan

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