Turbinectomy
What is Turbinectomy?
Turbinectomy is a surgical procedure to partially or completely remove the nasal turbinates, bony structures inside the nasal passages covered with mucous membranes, to relieve chronic nasal obstruction. It’s often performed when turbinates are enlarged due to allergies, infections, or other causes, and non-surgical treatments fail. In India, turbinectomy is conducted in ENT departments at hospitals like Apollo, Fortis, Medanta, and AIIMS, often at affordable costs. Understanding the procedure, costs, recovery, risks, and FAQs is essential for patients.
Why do you need Turbinectomy?
Turbinectomy is indicated for:
- Chronic nasal obstruction:
- Enlarged inferior turbinates (most common) causing difficulty breathing through the nose.
- Symptoms: Nasal congestion, snoring, mouth breathing, or reduced sense of smell.
- Causes of turbinate hypertrophy:
- Chronic allergies (allergic rhinitis), infections, irritants (e.g., smoke), or deviated nasal septum (DNS, as you asked about septoplasty earlier).
- Failed non-surgical treatments:
- Nasal steroids, antihistamines, or saline irrigation ineffective after 3–6 months.
- Associated procedures:
- Often combined with septoplasty or Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS), both of which you’ve inquired about previously.
The procedure aims to reduce or remove the turbinates to improve nasal airflow, alleviate congestion, and enhance breathing, often preserving some turbinate tissue to maintain nasal humidification.
Why Do Turbinectomy Costs Vary in India?
Costs range from ₹30,000 to ₹80,000:
- Procedure Type: RFA or partial turbinectomy (₹30,000–₹50,000); with septoplasty or FESS (₹50,000–₹80,000).
- Hospital/Location: Higher in metro cities (Apollo, Fortis: ₹50,000–₹80,000); lower in government hospitals (AIIMS: ₹10,000–₹20,000, often subsidized under Ayushman Bharat).
- Surgeon’s Expertise: Experienced ENT surgeons charge more.
- Additional Costs: Anesthesia (₹5,000–₹15,000), hospital stay (₹5,000–₹10,000/day), nasal packing (₹1,000–₹3,000), medications (₹1,000–₹3,000).
- Insurance: Covered for functional issues (e.g., nasal obstruction); confirm with your provider.
Turbinectomy Procedure
- Before Surgery Evaluation:
- Diagnosis:
- Nasal endoscopy: Visualizes turbinate size and nasal passages.
- CT scan (if needed): Assesses turbinate hypertrophy and sinus issues.
- Allergy testing: Identifies underlying allergic causes.
- Blood tests: Blood sugar, clotting profile.
- Medications: Stop blood thinners (e.g., aspirin) 5–7 days prior if safe.
- Consent: Risks, including bleeding, are explained.
- Diagnosis:
- Surgical Techniques:
- Turbinectomy:
- Performed under general or local anesthesia with sedation, lasting 30–60 minutes.
- Approach: Through the nostrils (no external scars); often endoscopic.
- Turbinate reduction/removal:
- Partial turbinectomy: Removes a portion of the inferior turbinate (most common).
- Total turbinectomy: Removes the entire turbinate (rare, due to risk of complications).
- Techniques:
- Microdebrider: Shaves excess tissue with precision.
- Radiofrequency ablation (RFA): Shrinks tissue using heat (less invasive).
- Electrocautery: Burns excess tissue to reduce size.
- Packing: Nasal packing (if used) controls bleeding (removed in 1–2 days); dissolvable packing may be used.
- Intraoperative Tools:
- Endoscope: Visualizes nasal structures.
- Microdebrider/RFA device: Reduces turbinate tissue.
- Nasal speculum: Provides access to nasal cavity.
- Turbinectomy:
- After Surgery:
- Hospital stay: Same-day discharge or 1 day.
- Care: Nasal saline irrigation (2–3 times daily) to keep passages clean; avoid blowing nose for 1 week.
- Pain management: Mild to moderate discomfort for 3–5 days; managed with acetaminophen.
- Instructions: Sleep with head elevated; avoid strenuous activity for 2 weeks.
Recovery After Turbinectomy
- Hospital Stay: Same-day discharge or 1 day.
- Post-Surgery Care:
- Discomfort: Mild nasal congestion, crusting, or soreness for 3–5 days; improves in 1–2 weeks.
- Bleeding: Minor nasal bleeding or discharge for 2–3 days; use drip pad if needed.
- Breathing: Initial congestion due to swelling/packing; improves in 1–2 weeks, with full benefit in 4–6 weeks.
- Activity: Rest for 2–3 days; avoid heavy lifting or sports for 2 weeks.
- Nasal care: Saline irrigation for 2–4 weeks; avoid irritants (e.g., smoke, dust).
- Follow-Up:
- Visits at 1 week (remove packing if used), 2 weeks, and 1 month.
- Endoscopy: At 1 month to check healing and airflow.
Most resume normal activities in 3–5 days; full recovery takes 4–6 weeks. Success rate: 80–90% achieve improved nasal breathing; some (10–15%) may have persistent symptoms if underlying issues (e.g., allergies) remain.
Risks and Complications
- Surgical Risks:
- Bleeding (2–5%): Minor nasal bleeding common; severe bleeding (<1%) may need packing or cauterization.
- Infection (1–2%): Nasal or sinus infection; treated with antibiotics.
- Anesthesia risks (<1%): Reaction to anesthesia; rare in healthy patients.
- Post-Surgery:
- Crusting (5–10%): Dryness or crusting in nasal passages; managed with saline irrigation.
- Change in smell (1–2%): Temporary (due to swelling); rarely permanent.
- Empty nose syndrome (<1%, total turbinectomy): Feeling of nasal dryness or obstruction despite open passages; rare with modern techniques.
- Adhesions (1–3%): Scar tissue between nasal structures; may need revision surgery.
- Long-Term:
- Recurrence of obstruction (5–10%): If allergies or irritants persist; needs ongoing medical management.
Report heavy bleeding, severe pain, fever, or breathing difficulty promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What causes turbinate hypertrophy?
Chronic allergies, infections, irritants (e.g., smoke), or anatomical issues (e.g., deviated septum).
Can I avoid turbinectomy?
Yes, if mild: Nasal steroids, antihistamines, or saline irrigation; surgery is for persistent obstruction.
Is turbinectomy painful?
Mild to moderate discomfort for 3–5 days, managed with medication; congestion improves in 1–2 weeks.
How soon can I resume activities?
Normal activities: 3–5 days; full recovery: 4–6 weeks; avoid strenuous activity for 2 weeks.
Is turbinectomy covered by insurance in India?
Yes, for functional issues; confirm with your provider.
Signs of complications?
Heavy bleeding, severe pain, fever, or breathing difficulty.
Will my breathing fully improve after turbinectomy?
80–90% see significant improvement; persistent symptoms may occur if allergies or other issues remain.
Lifestyle changes post-surgery?
Use saline irrigation, avoid nasal irritants, manage allergies, and attend follow-ups.
Conclusion
Turbinectomy is a safe and effective procedure to relieve chronic nasal obstruction, significantly improving breathing with a quick recovery. India’s top hospitals (Apollo, Fortis, AIIMS) provide affordable care, often covered by insurance. Understanding the procedure, costs, recovery, risks, and FAQs helps patients approach surgery confidently. Consult an ENT surgeon for personalized guidance
Looking for Best Hospitals for Turbinectomy
Note: we are not promoting any hospitals
we are not promoting any hospitals we sourced all the details from google and hospitals website, please verify and start with your surgery here we go the list includes government, budget and superspeciality hospitals accreditation bodies are the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) and the Joint Commission International (JCI)
- click on your city and schedule your surgery now done in good hands.
| City | Minimum Price (₹) | Maximum Price (₹) |
|---|---|---|
Agra |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Ahmedabad |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Ajmer |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Aligarh |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Allahabad |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Amritsar |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Aurangabad |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Bangalore |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Bareilly |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Belgaum |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Bhopal |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Bhubaneswar |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Bikaner |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Chandigarh |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Chennai |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Coimbatore |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Dehradun |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Delhi |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Dhanbad |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Durgapur |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Faridabad |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Ghaziabad |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Gorakhpur |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Guntur |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Gurgaon |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Guwahati |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Gwalior |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Hyderabad |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Indore |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Jabalpur |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Jaipur |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Jalandhar |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Jamshedpur |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Jodhpur |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Kanpur |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Kochi |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Kolkata |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Kollam |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Lucknow |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Ludhiana |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Madurai |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Mangalore |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Meerut |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Moradabad |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Mumbai |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Mysore |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Nagpur |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Nashik |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Navi Mumbai |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Noida |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Patna |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Pune |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Raipur |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Rajkot |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Ranchi |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Surat |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Thane |
35,000 |
1,00,000 |
Vadodara |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Varanasi |
30,000 |
90,000 |
Visakhapatnam |
32,000 |
95,000 |
Disclaimer
This information is sourced from open platforms and is for general awareness only. Costs may vary based on individual cases. Please consult a qualified doctor for medical advice and explore options within your budget before deciding on the procedure.