Conchotomy: Surgical Treatment of Chronic Rhinitis and Restoration of Breathing

If your morning doesn’t start with coffee, but with a search for a bottle of vasoconstrictor drops, if you haven’t been able to breathe normally through your nose for years, and at night you suffer from snoring and dry mouth — most likely, you are facing hypertrophy of the nasal turbinates. When the nasal mucosa irreversibly overgrows and blocks the airways, medications no longer help. The only effective solution is conchotomy.

At St. Luke’s Clinic (Banchery village), this operation is performed using the most modern minimally invasive methods (endoscopy and radiofrequency surgery). We will help you restore free breathing and permanently give up annoying drops without painful and long rehabilitation.

What is conchotomy and why do drops no longer work?

Inside our nose are the inferior nasal turbinates — a kind of “radiators” that warm and humidify the air. Due to frequent colds, allergies, or constant use of drops (naphazoline, pharmazoline, etc.), their mucous membrane loses tone, swells, and turns into thick tissue that completely blocks the nasal passage.

Conchotomy is a surgical operation aimed at partial removal or reduction of the volume of these overgrown mucous membrane tissues. The doctor removes the “excess,” clearing the way for airflow.

Indications for surgery

Otolaryngologist-surgeons of our clinic prescribe conchotomy for the following conditions:

• Hypertrophic rhinitis: persistent and irreversible thickening of the nasal turbinate mucosa.
• Vasomotor rhinitis (“naphazoline addiction”): loss of the nose’s ability to constrict blood vessels independently.
• Congenital or acquired anomalies in the development of nasal turbinates.
• Frequent recurrences of sinusitis (due to swollen mucosa blocking sinus ventilation).
• Severe snoring and sleep apnea syndrome (cessation of breathing during sleep) caused by nasal congestion.

How is the operation performed at St. Luke’s Clinic?

We have abandoned outdated methods (where tissues were simply cut with scissors, causing severe bleeding) in favor of minimally invasive endoscopic and radiofrequency surgery.

1. Absolute comfort: The operation is performed under local anesthesia or in a state of medical sleep (general anesthesia). You will not feel any pain or stress.
2. Microsurgical precision: The surgeon works under the control of a miniature video endoscope. The image is displayed on a monitor, allowing for the removal of exactly as much tissue as needed to restore breathing, without damaging the physiology of the nose.
3. Modern technologies: Excess tissue is evaporated by radio waves (Surgitron), laser, or carefully cut with a micro-instrument (shaver). At the same time, blood vessels are instantly “sealed,” making the procedure practically bloodless.
4. No scary bandages: After the intervention, modern hemostatic sponges or breathable silicone splints are placed in the nose, which are easily and painlessly removed on day 1-2.

* Very often, conchotomy is performed simultaneously with septoplasty (straightening of the nasal septum), as these two problems usually accompany each other.

Features of recovery

Conchotomy is considered a minimally traumatic operation. You will spend only 1 day in our comfortable hospital.

In the first few days, nasal breathing will be difficult due to natural postoperative swelling and crust formation. This is a normal stage of healing. The doctor will prescribe special moisturizing drops, oils, and saline solutions for rinsing.

Full, deep nasal breathing will return in 1-2 weeks, when the swelling completely subsides. From this moment, you will be able to enjoy life without a single drop of vasoconstrictor drugs!

For successful rehabilitation, the following are prohibited for a month: visiting baths and saunas, taking hot baths, consuming alcohol, and engaging in intense sports.

Take your first full breath! Sign up for an expert consultation with ENT surgeons at St. Luke’s Clinic to get rid of nasal spray addiction forever.