Nose unblocking treatment using local anaesthetic laser turbinoplasty

This is a very well tolerated procedure performed in clinic. The patient comes in, not starved/ nil by mouth, and the doctor goes through the procedure, the patient signs a consent form. Both then walk to the laser treatment room where a dental type chair is reclined back to 60 degrees and the patient rests back. Numbing spray called Xylocaine is sprayed into the nose and the patient sits forward so that it doesn’t run down into the back of the nose. After 2 minutes an injection of Xylocaine and adrenaline (1-1.5ml) is placed into the front of the inferior turbinate bone, the patient hardly feels this usually, as the numbing spray has taken effect. The injection is passed along the inferior turbinate bone for approximately 3cm. Some slight bleeding can occur from the needle injection point. This is usually minor and stops within a few seconds. The Holmium YAG laser is then started up and a 550 micron reusable fibre attached with the end freshly cleaved and stripped. Laser settings of 1 joule per second, 12 hertz frequency and 12 watts of power are set, continuous firing. The patient is asked to take a deep breath in and the fibre is introduced into the front end of the inferior turbinate. The patient is asked to breathe slowly out of their nose with the laser continuously firing. The laser fibre is moved in for 3cm, then out for 3 cm. This takes 10-15 seconds, the fibre tip being kept directly on the inferior turbinate bone. The procedure is then finished. The patient sits and relaxes in the recovery room for 5-10 minutes and can then return to work. There is usually no bleeding at all. All in all the patient is in clinic for around 20 minutes.