Benefits and risks

Information for the public

When NICE looked at the evidence, it decided that the procedure is safe enough and works well enough for use in the NHS. The 8 studies that NICE looked at involved a total of 887 patients.

Generally, they showed the following benefits:

improvements in symptoms such as a blocked nose, sneezing, runny nose and snoring
improvements in the nasal airway
increased space in the nose.

The studies showed that the risks of powered microdebrider turbinoplasty included the following after the procedure:

bleeding in about a third of patients
a runny nose in about 10% of patients
a crust forming in the nose in about 12% of patients
a dry nose in about 3% of patients.

NICE was also told that some patients also experience 'empty nose syndrome', which includes dryness, crusting and a sense that the nose is blocked because of a loss of sensation.

If you want to know more about the studies see the guidance. Ask your health professional to explain anything you don't understand.