Office based inferior turbinate coblation treatment: a randomized controlled trial on effectiveness and tolerability of medicinal honey

Background: When conservative treatment for nasal obstruction fails, surgery is often applied. Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy (ITH) is a common cause of nasal obstruction, which can be treated by means of radiofrequency coblation. This technique can be administered under local anesthesia (office based coblation; OBC) and if expedient combined with a lateralization (out-fracture) of the inferior turbinate (IT). Ointment based on medical grade honey, is known to have wound healing characteristics. Methodology: Single center, single blinded randomized controlled trial. Fifty-five subjects received bilateral OBC of the IT. Subjects were randomized to postoperative care with either nasal saline irrigations (NSI) or NSI combined with ointment based on honey (NSI+STB). Subjects weekly reported subjectively overall nasal burden, -crusting, -pain, loss of smell by means of VAS-scores and nasal obstruction by means of the NL-NOSE scale. Results: No significant differences between the NSI and NSI+STB groups, though the latter showed less pain. Concerning the study group as a whole, mean nasal burden score and nasal obstruction significantly decreased from 63.4 to 16.0 and 65.3 to 22.0, respectively. Nasal crusting, -pain, and loss of smell largely resolved 3-4 weeks postoperatively and were only mild. Concomitant lateralization showed a tendency to quicker resolution of the nasal obstruction. Conclusions: OBC is a safe, well tolerated and effective treatment for nasal obstruction caused by ITH. Concerning multiple end-points, we found no evidence of a beneficial effect of ointment based on honey as addition to NSI in postoperative care, except a clear tendency in less crusting and pain.