Outcome of Septoplasty with Inferior Turbinectomy as an In-patient or Out-patient Procedure

The study aimed to compare the surgical outcomes of septoplasty with inferior turbinectomy between in-patient and out-patient groups. A total of 152 patients who underwent septoplasty with inferior turbinectomy between May 2012 and February 2013 were retrospectively reviewed and divided into in-patient group and out-patient group. The two groups were compared in three aspects: (i) consumption of medical resources, including National Health Insurance payments, patient surcharges, and total surgical expenses; (ii) prognostic indicators; and (iii) post-operative complications. There were no statistically significant differences between the prognostic indicators or post-operative complications in the 2 study groups except for “duration of nasal decongestant use”. The in-patient group had higher medical resource consumption in all categories. In conclusion, septoplasty with inferior turbinectomy can be performed cost-effectively as an out-patient procedure with satisfactory quality and adequate safety.