Author(s)
Auddie Sweis, MD
Joseph Raviv, MD
Riley Medenwald, Research Coordinator
Affiliation(s)
NorthShore University HealthSystem;
Abstract:
INTRODUCTION:
Nasal obstruction that is unresponsive to standard medical therapy may improve in response to the minimally-invasive VivAer. A multi-center, prospective study showed significant improvement in patients’ sleep quality, ability to breathe through their nose, and overall NOSE scores. These results were only based on patient symptom scores. In an ongoing study, we assess objective improvement in nasal airflow secondary to the VivAer procedure in addition to patient questionnaires before and after the VivAer procedure.
METHODS:
From 10/2022 through the 9/2023, we conducted baseline measurements on or before the day of the procedure using PNIF meters and the SNOT-22 and NOSE questionnaires. These measurements were then repeated at 1, 3, and 6 months post-procedure.
RESULTS: Participants (n=7) were 71% female and 61±8 years of age. Participants experienced improved PNIF scores by the 3-month follow up (p=0.0313). Patients also experienced improvement in NOSE (p=0.0496) and SNOT-22 (p=0.0313) scores by the 1-month and 3-month follow-ups respectively.
CONCLUSION: Although the study is still ongoing, the VivAer procedure shows promise as a minimally-invasive alternative to surgery to address nasal obstruction. While the sample size remains small, the preliminary results of the study have shown positive trends in all measured outcomes in all participants. Patients experienced enhanced nasal patency, along with improvements in NOSE and SNOT-22 scores, attesting to the potential benefits of the procedure.