The potential role of hyaluronic acid in postoperative radiofrequency surgery for chronic inferior turbinate hypertrophy

BACKGROUND: We prospectively evaluated the efficacy of hyaluronic acid (HA) as an adjuvant treatment to hasten the improvement of nasal respiration and to minimize patients' discomfort in the postoperative radiofrequency volumetric tissue reduction (RFVTR) of inferior turbinates. METHODS: We enrolled 57 patients randomly assigned into two groups, HA (22 patients) and saline group (35 patients), which received isotonic saline nasal irrigation. We used the monopolar device somnoplasty for all patients. Visual analogic scale (VAS) and nasal endoscopy were used to assess the outcomes of the treatments during the 1st month of follow-up. RESULTS: The mean VAS score of the HA group at the 1st week was significantly lower than the control group (3.36 ± 1.89 versus 6.95 ± 1.52; p < 0.05). The VAS score remained significantly lower in the HA group also at the 2nd week (3.43 ± 1.27 versus 5.75±1.39; p < 0.05), becoming similar to the control group at the 4th week (p = ns). Since the first visit the HA group also showed significantly lower crust score than the saline group (p < 0.05), and there was no crust found in either group at the last visit. The compliance to treatment was similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this prospective study suggest a role of HA as a supportive treatment for faster improvement of nasal respiration, also minimizing patients' discomfort in postoperative nasal surgery, promoting nasal mucosa healing in postoperative RFVTR for inferior turbinate hypertrophy.