Evaluation of long-term treatment results in patients with vasomotor rhinitis using cold plasma vasotomy of the inferior turbines in combination with therapeutic physical factors

The aim of the study was to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the combined use of low-intensity laser radiation and transcranial electrical stimulation in the postoperative period following cold plasma coblation in patients with vasomotor rhinitis. Material and Methods. The study included 137 patients diagnosed with vasomotor rhinitis. Following cold plasma coblation, they were divided into 4 groups using a simple fixed-randomization method. The first group (control, n=34) received background therapy (BT) alone. Patients in the second group (comparison group 1, n=35) received a course of low-intensity laser radiation (LILR) in the infrared range in addition to BT. The third group of patients (comparison group 2, n=34) received transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) along with BT. In the fourth group (main, n=34), LILR was used in combination with TES in addition to BT. Long-term treatment outcomes were assessed 6 and 12 months after completion of therapy, assessing the frequency of complaints, anterior active rhinomanometry parameters, mucociliary transport time, and quality of life using the SNOT-22 questionnaire. Results. In the groups with the additional monofactorial use of LLLT and TES, the increase in complaints was less pronounced, significantly differing from the control group. Complaint assessment results in the study group indicated the achievement of the maximum corrective result, which significantly differed not only from the control group but also from the comparison groups. Changes in the total score of the SNOT-22 psychometric questionnaire reflected changes in patient complaints in the selected groups over the long-term period. The lowest score on the questionnaire, recorded in the study group, indicates the achievement of stable disease control. A long-term assessment of nasal patency revealed positive changes in nasal patency indicators only in the group with the combined use of LLLT and TES. Results of the recurrence of vasomotor rhinitis demonstrated the benefits of a course of therapeutic physical therapy, reducing the recurrence rate in the control group by 2.5–10.1 times. Conclusion. The use of LLLT in combination with TES therapy demonstrated good and stable long-term results for most patients, significantly improving nasal breathing and quality of life. The aftereffect observed in the study group ensured prolonged consolidation of the achieved results, promoting deeper and more sustainable restoration of bodily functions. To prevent the recurrence of vasomotor rhinitis, it is recommended to repeat a course of combined LLLT and TES-based physiotherapy at least once per year.