Partial Resection versus Preservation of Middle Turbinate in Surgery for Chronic Rhinosinusitis With - Without Nasal Polyposis

Background: The decision between the partial resection and preservation of the middle turbinate has raised considerable debate. Patients and Methods: This prospective study included thirty randomly selected patients with chronic rhinosiusitis with polyps who underwent surgery. A total 60 sides of nasal cavity were divided into two groups with 30 sides each. Group I comprised 30 sides underwent FESS with partial middle turbinate resection and group II comprised the opposite 30 sides underwent FESS without MTR and each patient acts as his own control. Both groups were compared objectively and subjectively postoperatively at the 1 st , 3 rd and 6 th month postoperatively. Results : The results showed endoscopic grade 0 mucosa was found more in group I (100%; n = 30) than group II (73.3% n = 22) and the recurrence of nasal polyps was 0.00% (n = 0) in group I compared to recurrence 26.6% (n = 8) in group II. Nasal obstruction was grade 0 in 100% (n =30) sides of group I and grade 0 in 73.3% (n = 22) sides of groupII. Hyposmia improved to normal in group I in 100% n=30 compared to hyposmia in 26.66% n=8 in group II. The 30 (100%) resected sides of group I showed central middle turbinate stump not obscuring frontal recess area with 100% patency of frontal sinus ostia compared to 5 cases 16.7% in group II showing frontal sinus ostium closure . Maxillary sinus antrostomy patency was found patent in 100.00% (n = 30) sides and in group II it was 73.33% (n = 22).