| A new form of laser treatment is now available
in our Libertyville office for those patients who have a chronically congested and
obstructed nose, not necessarily due to allergies, and that do not respond to standard
medical therapies. The procedure - Laser Assisted Turbinate
Reduction (LATR), uses a CO2 laser with "wave guides" to reduce the
size of the turbinates, the soft tissue projections in the nose which serve to warm and
humidify air. Turbinates become irritated or enlarged because of allergies, weather
changes, stress, fatigue, hormonal changes, sensitivities or medications. Continual nasal
congestion and/or blockage results. Nasal obstruction due to turbinate hypertrophy is a
common symptom among many allergy patients. When the turbinates enlarge, several problems
may result: the nasal cavity narrows making breathing difficult and/or small openings that
drain the sinuses may be occluded leading to chronic sinus problems. |
|
LATR reduces the size of the enlarged turbinates, relieves
the pressure of nasal congestion and improves nasal breathing. The office procedure
requires only topical anesthesia, which is sprayed into the nose, carries little risk of
bleeding, causes little pain, requires no packing and allows the patient to return almost
immediately to normal activities. Prior to the development of the laser procedure, the
operation would have required surgery under general anesthesia with significant risk of
bleeding. The laser surgery may eliminate the need for current "self
treatments" such as frequent nasal sprays and tape applied to the nose at night in an
effort to breathe more easily.
Laser procedures are scheduled on Wednesday mornings at our Libertyville office. |
