Submucosal Turbinectomy with Posterior-Superior Nasal Neurectomy for Patients with Allergic Rhinitis.

Submucosal turbinectomy with posterior-superior nasal neurectomy has been performed for 20 patients with intractable allergic rhinitis in our institution. The operations were carried out under endonasal endoscopic observation. After the apical mucous membrane of the inferior turbinate was slightly incised and its bone was resected in the submucosa, both the posterior superior nerve and sphenopalatine artery were cut in the sphenopalatine foramen as one mass using a Harmonic scalpel. In the short-term subjective symptoms observed for 2 to 10 months, sneezing, nasal discharge, and nasal obstruction were improved to 90%, 75%, and 100%, respectively. Additionally, no surgical complications such as massive intraoperative hemorrhage, disturbance of lacrimal secretion or facial numbness were observed. Because this operation method was highly effective, was minimally invasive, and very few complications were observed, it is suggested that this is a novel surgical method for allergic rhinitis or vasomotor rhinitis.