Learn about Turbinate Coblation

Travis Stork: Today we're going to do five cures that take five minutes or less. Before the break, you met Jillian; she's had nasal allergies and congestion forever and she is already for her own five-minute cure. We're here with her physician Dr. Schwimmer as well as his colleague, Dr. Goldwyn, from the Southern Medical Group in Sacramento, California. Welcome to all of you! Jillian: Thank you. Travis Stork: Jillian, we were talking before the break; 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Jillian: Definitely. Travis Stork: Congested? Jillian: All the time. Travis Stork: And we're going to talk about this really unique new procedure. But let's also touch upon she is all on nasal steroids, she is on everything you can be on but still has no relief. Craig Schwimmer: Absolutely, and so the goal here is to significantly reduce her nasal allergy symptoms; the congestion, the pressure, the dripping, the postnasal drainage and the turbinate coblation is remarkably effective in relieving those symptoms. Travis Stork: Because we're basically creating a bigger passageway. Craig Schwimmer: Exactly, we're going to do two things. We're actually going to make the turbinate, the side wall structure in the nose, smaller. And we're also going to reduce the reactivity of that tissue, so there is going to be less of it and the tissue that's there will swell less in response to allergies. Travis Stork: We have an animation here. I want you to describe to us. Craig Schwimmer: Absolutely. So what we're going to be looking at is inside the nose and on the outside of the nose is a structure, a normal structure called the turbinate and if you put your pinky inside your nose and you feel the bump on the outside, that's the turbinate. And what we're going to do is shrink that by putting a probe inside and using radiofrequency energy to reduce that tissue. Travis Stork: Are you ready? Jillian: So ready. Travis Stork: And you're all numb. Jillian: Yes. Travis Stork: So Dr. Goldwyn is going to do the honors and this is truly amazing because it's such a quick procedure. Craig Schwimmer: It's brilliant, it's a couple of minutes and for most people, it yields tremendous symptomatic relief. Travis Stork: So Dr. Goldwyn, go for it. Benzion Goldwyn: This is the probe and the active end is right at the tip. So when you place the probe in the nose there is no mucosal injury. There's lot of techniques that cause burning of the actual tissue outside the nose. This takes care of the tissue inside of the nose so there's less side effects. Travis Stork: Okay. Benzion Goldwyn: Alright. So are you ready? Okay, so move towards me just an inch. Travis Stork: And Dr. Schwimmer, this is a procedure that would cost how much if you were to? Craig Schwimmer: At the Snoring Center, we charge $1,500 for the turbinate coblation. Most of our patients are able to obtain insurance reimbursement for their out-of-network benefits. So it's not terribly expensive and for a lot of people, it allows them to significantly reduce the cost of their allergy medications; a lot of our patients are spending $50, 60, 70, a month on allergy meds. Travis Stork: Right, and the important point we want to make, if you're an allergy sufferer and the audience who are at home, is this doesn't stop allergies from happening; it just controls the symptoms. Craig Schwimmer: That's exactly right. This does not change the fact that patients have allergies but it does effectively reduce nasal allergy symptoms and that's what makes so many people so miserable. Travis Stork: And the people who have a benefit from this will have a life-long benefit in most cases. Benzion Goldwyn: You know we measure the benefit in years. Travis Stork: Unbelievable! Craig Schwimmer: It's incredible. It's just a couple of minutes and it really works well. Benzion Goldwyn: Are you ready? Jillian: Yes. Benzion Goldwyn: Doing alright? Jillian: Yes. Craig Schwimmer: We've been doing this for about eight years and we've not seen a relapse yet. So we don't know if it's permanent but certainly, the relief lasts for many years. Travis Stork: And we're not really cooking the tissue. Craig Schwimmer: That's right. It's called coblation which stands for cold oblation. So it is not a thermal injury, so you don't have crusting and pain and bleeding afterwards. It's the use of radio frequency and so it's a temperature controlled injury. Travis Stork: The difference is typically when we use heat, you get that smell of burnt tissue; with this procedure, nothing like that. Craig Schwimmer: Exactly! And also the problem with heat is that you don't only damage the tissue that you want to damage; you damage a bunch of the adjacent tissue. Travis Cork: And that's it! Benzion Goldwyn: That's it. Travis Stork: Five minutes or less. How do you feel? Jillian: Great! Travis Stork: Thank you so much. Jillian: Thank you. Travis Stork: Dr. Goldwyn, thank you. Benzion Goldwyn: My pleasure.