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Objective: This study investigated the effects of concurrent inferior turbinectomy and balloon Eustachian tuboplasty on symptoms related to Eustachian tube dysfunction.
Methods: This comparative case-control study prospectively enrolled 50 patients who underwent balloon Eustachian tuboplasty with inferior turbinectomy between September 2020 and March 2021. Retrospectively, an additional 50 patients who underwent balloon Eustachian tuboplasty without inferior turbinectomy between June 2019 and August 2020 were enrolled as the control group after frequency-matching by age and sex. The Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire-7 and the nasal obstruction symptom evaluation scores were compared between the 2 groups.
Results: The Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire-7 scores significantly differed between patients who underwent a balloon Eustachian tuboplasty with inferior turbinectomy and those who underwent a balloon Eustachian tuboplasty without inferior turbinectomy (preoperative: 24.9 ± 5.91 vs. 25.3 ± 6.91 (P=.79); postoperative: 13.7 ± 4.75 vs. 17.2 ± 5.71 (P=.02)). The nasal obstruction symptom evaluation scores also significantly differed between patients who underwent a balloon Eustachian tuboplasty with inferior turbinectomy and those who underwent a balloon Eustachian tuboplasty without inferior turbinectomy (preoperative: 74 ± 13.45 vs. 77 ± 14.29, (P=.26); postoperative: 25.9 ± 4.7 vs. 75.9 ± 8.7 (P < .0001)).
Conclusion: Concurrent balloon Eustachian tuboplasty with inferior turbinectomy is safe and can improve subjective Eustachian tube function in patients with nasal obstruction and Eustachian tube dysfunction. Moreover, it may be an optional technique for surgeons to ameliorate Eustachian tube dysfunction.
Cite this article as: Lin W, Hsieh C, Yu S, Chang Y, Hsu C, Wu H. Balloon eustachian tuboplasty with or without inferior turbinectomy for chronic nasal obstruction with obstructive eustachian tube dysfunction. B-ENT. 2022;18(4):232-238.