Surgical Approach for Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy

Inferior turbinate hypertrophy is a condition in which the turbinates, located along the lateral walls of the nasal cavity,
become enlarged and obstruct nasal breathing. The turbinates help regulate airflow and warm,
humidify, and filter inhaled air, but they can interfere with breathing when they become excessively enlarged.
When a deviated septum is present, the inferior turbinate on the wider side of the nasal cavity often enlarges as a compensatory response.
For this reason, septoplasty and inferior turbinate reduction are frequently performed together.

The nasal septum is a wall-like structure composed of cartilage and bone that divides the nasal cavity into left and right sides and supports the nose. Septal deviation is common. In particular, deviation of the anterior or superior portion of the septum may cause the external nose to appear visibly crooked.
If your nose appears externally crooked and you also experience nasal obstruction or frequently wake up with a dry or sore throat due to mouth breathing, these symptoms may indicate a deviated septum. Severe septal deviation may contribute to headaches and recurrent sinusitis.
For patients with nasal obstruction caused by septal deviation, septoplasty may involve removing, reshaping, or repositioning selected portions of septal cartilage. When appropriate, usable cartilage may be preserved and used as the patient’s own graft material for cosmetic rhinoplasty, providing both functional improvement and a valuable source of autologous cartilage for reconstruction.