RF treatment for turbinate reduction

Hello CPAPtalk folks,

I've read several posts about surgical reduction of the turbinates. Have any of you opted for RF (radiofrequency) ablation? It's done in office, and you go home afterwards. My understanding is that the downside is that it doesn't do any good if your problem is severe, and due to bony structures, but works well if your primary problem is swelling.

Any personal experiences?

Thanks,
Sonya

I had turbinate reduction via wand coblation (bRF) this past April. Along with tonsilectomy, adnoidectomy, polyp removal, deviated septum, and sinus surgery.

I can tell you that recovery from the nose portion was fairly pain free...with no swelling or external bruising.

Im not sure if i only had the turbinate reduction done if it would have been outpatient at the office or not.

My turbinate reduction was done with a microdebraider almost 2 weeks ago. The ENT said mine was pretty severe, and she did break the bones to move them over. It would have been done in an outpatient surgery center if I didn't have sleep apnea. Instead, I got to spend the night in the hospital. I'm actually glad it worked out that way.

By the way, breathing through my nose without steroids is an amazing experience. I am now happily wearing a full face mask that I could not stand before.

Hi folks, thanks for replying. You two are describing surgical turbinate reduction. Radiofrequency ablation is done during an office visit, and no tissue or bone is removed. The tissue is killed off with radio waves. Though, Andy, it sounds like the did RF while surgical doing everything else, which is weird. If there were going to remove so much tissue, why use radiofrequency for the turbinates?

Has anyone had this done? You're awake for the procedure, and it's not done in an operating room.

Here's a video. I'm just wondering how effective it really is.

http://vimeo.com/8086039

Nobody, really?

I had the office procedure... to do with my turbinates. I had it done in late December/early January.

So far it's been good... normally I'd be stuffed up by now with my allergies, on multiple medications and all that jazz... now the thing that bothers me more is the high humidity (which this summer means high heat and high humidity = heat index over 100)

Before the procedure I was on allergy meds year round and they still weren't keeping up. Shots did nothing. Sinus infections were frequent. Nasal rinse did some but not much. That's why I went to a full face mask was 'cause I couldn't breathe a lot of the year.

cflame1 wrote:I had the office procedure... to do with my turbinates. I had it done in late December/early January.

How long did the procedure keep you down?

Has anyone heard of more good results with this procedure? Or bad ones?

I have over 75% hypopneas with an AHI of about 14. So if an ablation got rid of my hypopneas, I'd be free and clear - maybe even of CPAP. I have never been able to sleep in the same room as my wife. Even my test came out to one snore every 5 seconds.

I wonder if all my apnea is really upper airway stuff since I had my lower airway cleaned out years ago? My sleep Dr. says it looks good in there - not like most of the hatchet jobs done in the 90's. I guess I was lucky. They totally ignored my upper airway even though I have a deviated septum and more.

1/2 a day

cflame1 wrote:1/2 a day

Did it hurt? I am a sissy.

Not really. Neither the procedure or the half day. The half day was like a bad cold... the procedure, he numbed it up so I didn't feel it.