If a surgeon offers radiofrequency turbinate reduction as an office procedure, take these questions to the visit before you agree.
Where it fits
Turbinate treatment is one option a surgeon may bring up for blocked breathing. The questions below help you check that it matches the cause.
Turbinates, septum or both
About the cause
- What is blocking my breathing: the turbinates, the septum, or both?
- If the septum is the problem, will turbinate treatment alone be enough?
- Is there a non-surgical option I should try first?
About the office procedure
- What happens during the visit, and what will I feel?
- How long is the visit, and when can I go back to work?
- How many treatments might I need?
About results
- How will we know it worked?
- What do you do if my breathing does not improve?
Septum and turbinates
The septum is the other structure the questions above ask about. A published trial, the Nasal Airway Obstruction Study (NAIROS), compared septoplasty with medical management for a septal deviation with nasal obstruction. Read its summary to see how researchers frame that choice, then ask your surgeon which one applies to you.
Your health before any procedure
Your own health matters to the plan. A paper on managing medical morbidities and risk factors before surgery, including smoking and diabetes is one place to read about it. Tell your surgeon about your smoking, your conditions, and your medications.
Only the surgeon who examines your nose can say whether radiofrequency fits your airway problem.
Diagnosis before treatment
Get a diagnosis before you pick a treatment. Ask your surgeon to show you where the blockage is. If you are weighing a bigger operation, a plastic surgery society explains two types of rhinoplasty, cosmetic and functional. It helps you see where a functional airway fix sits.