ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the efficacy of endoscopic nasal cavity enlarging surgery for the alleviation of nasal obstruction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and eight patients with deviation of the nasal septum (DNS) and chronic hypertrophic rhinitis (CHR) were included in this study. Individualized operations were performed. DNS patients were treated by three line tension relaxing correction or nasal septum plasty. CHR patients were treated by inferior turbinate out fracture in combination with plasma radiofrequency ablation for reducing the volume of nasal soft tissue, sub-mucoperiosteal partial resection of the inferior turbinate or partial inferior turbinectomy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All patients were followed for 3-12 months after surgery with an effective improvement in 97.2%. Symptoms of headache or complications of rhinitis sicca were not found.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Being careful to keep the physiological function of nasal mucosa, the integrity of the nasal septum, appropriate expansion of the nasal cavity volume, and restore ventilation with bilateral symmetry of the nasal cavity, satisfactory relief of nasal obstruction can be achieved.</p>