Abstract
Introduction: Compensatory inferior turbinate hypertrophy is a common accompanying manifestation in patients with nasal obstruction due to deviated nasal septum (DNS). The grounds for inferior turbinate reduction (ITR) in this population are still not well established. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of septoplasty with ITR versus septoplasty alone. Methods: Computerised search in Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL was performed. Eligible for inclusion were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing septoplasty to septoplasty with unilateral, contralateral, ITR in adults with DNS. Primary outcomes were health-related quality of life and nasal patency. The secondary outcome was the occurrence of adverse events. Standardised mean differences (SMD) and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results: Twelve RCTs that enrolled 775 participants were found eligible. Data were reported at follow-up periods ranging from 1 month to 48 months. The pooled effect estimate showed a statistically significant improvement with unilateral, contralateral, ITR in Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation scale (NOSE) scores. The rate of adverse events was significantly higher with ITR. Conclusions: Unilateral reduction of the hypertrophied contralateral inferior turbinate during septoplasty resulted in better subjective relief of nasal obstruction in adults with DNS than septoplasty alone. However, caution is warranted since only few welldesigned RCTs were identified.