Turbinoplasty for concha bullosa: a non-synechiae-forming alternative to middle turbinectomy.

A large pneumatized middle turbinate (concha bullosa) may require surgical reduction. Partial middle turbinectomy, especially when done simultaneously with uncinectomy and ethmoidectomy, results in an increased risk for adhesion formation in the middle meatus. Turbinoplasty is a procedure that results in a significant reduction of the width of the middle turbinate without injuring its mucosal surfaces. A 4-year experience with this procedure showed almost complete elimination of the synechiae problem.