Is There Any Treatment to Regenerate Inferior Turbinate?

Question

I had gone through surgery of turbinate reduction .During surgery my doctor removed inferior turbinate .Now I have been suffering from nose crusting ,pain in auxillary bone ,throat infection and other problem also .I never had this problem before surgery .Few days before, I read about regenerative cells which is made from in vivo cells of adult.Also mucosa transplantation is there for this type of problem.Is it good treatment?

Stephen Weber MD, FACS · Answer

This is a very tough problem to deal with and the solutions are not always effective. The most conservative measures you can use would be to ensure adequate humidification in your house and moisture in your nose. You can use saline nasal sprays and nasal gels to reduce the amount of dryness. Some surgeons are using materials such as alloderm to try to create a pseudo-turbinate to humidify the nose but this can be hit or miss. I would recommend seeking a second opinion in your area with a surgeon (rhinologist/ ENT) who is most familiar with the empty nose syndrome. I hope my answer is helpful.

Stephen Prendiville, MD · Answer

As previously mentioned, some Rhinologists (functional nasal Otolaryngolgy Surgeons) have worked with various collagen type materials to build up the lateral nasal wall.  However, the reliability and efficacy of these procedures for the empty nose syndrome you are describing is questionable.  The symptoms you are describing relate to the over resection of a very important functional part of the nose.  When inferior turbinate removal is performed, it should only be when a patient has failed medical management and should be very conservative.

Sam P. Most, MD · Answer

Yogi11-

	I am sorry you are going through this.  There are a few doctors who are trying newer procedures to 'build' a new turbinate.  Not necessarily through regeneration, but perhaps by other means such as building up the lateral nasal wall.  I do not do this procedure, but if you check with the doctors at the university hospitals in your area, there may be someone who does, or knows of someone who does.  Good luck to you with this difficult problem.

Anil R. Shah, MD · Answer

Unfortunately, overresection of the inferior turbinates removes a vital source for humdification of the air we breathe.  There are reports of tissue regeneration playing a larger role in rhinoplasty and nasal surgery but everything at this point is early stages.  Growth factors are thought to be too risky to be placed directly into the nose due to proxmity to the eye and retina.  The leading treatment for regeneration of turbinates now uses alloderm.

Is There Any Treatment to Regenerate Inferior Turbinate?

Answers (4)

Answer: Inferior Turbinate Regeneration

Answer: Inferior Turbinate Regeneration

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Is There Any Treatment to Regenerate Inferior Turbinate?

Answers (4)

Answer: Inferior Turbinate Regeneration

Answer: Inferior Turbinate Regeneration

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Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

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