Author(s)
Jordan Pritikin MD
Devin M. Cunning MD
Curtis Johnson DO
Raj TerKonda MD
Mitchell L. Worley MD
Daniel Charous MD
Stacey Silvers MD
Affiliation(s)
Chicago Nasal & Sinus Center, Arizona Coast EMT, ENT And Allergy Associates of Florida, IMMUNOe Research Center, Spartanburg | Greer ENT and Allergy, Arizona Desert ENT Specialists, Madison ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery
Abstract:
Objective: To evaluate real world sleep and symptom improvement among patients with nasal valve dysfunction (NVD) and severe or extreme nasal airway obstruction (NAO) treated with temperature controlled radiofrequency (TCRF), using electronic medical record (EMR) data and prospectively collected patient surveys to assess sleep related outcomes.
Methods: This real world outcomes study included patients from 8 U.S. otolaryngology practices who underwent TCRF for NAO between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2023. Analyses focused on TCRF patients with matched baseline EMR and post procedure survey Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores, and patients with survey reported sub scores derived from the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and p-values were calculated.
Results: Among 238 patients, 22 patients had matched EMR and survey ESS data. Mean ESS improved from 8.0 (95% CI, 5.6–10.3) at baseline to 4.3 (95% CI, 2.7–6.0) post procedure, reflecting a mean reduction of 3.6 points consistent with meaningful improvement in daytime sleepiness. Across the larger survey only cohort (n=81), the mean post procedure ESS score was 6.0 (95% CI, 5.0–7.1), indicating normalization of daytime alertness in most patients. Similarly, the “trouble sleeping” component of the NOSE score improved from 2.3 (95% CI, 2.1–2.6) pre procedure to 1.2 (95% CI, 1.0–1.4) post procedure (p<.001), demonstrating consistent improvement across sleep related domains.
Conclusions: This real world analysis demonstrates that TCRF provides significant improvement in sleep outcomes and daytime alertness for patients with NAO, underscoring the importance of restoring nasal patency in improving both NAO and sleep outcomes.