Inferior turbinate augmentation with auricular cartilage for the treatment of empty nose syndrome.

Empty nose syndrome (ENS) is a potential complication of excessive resection of turbinate tissue. Patients with ENS complain of nasal obstruction despite a widely patent nasal cavity. Various implants, including autologous bone and biomaterials, have been used to reduce the width of the nasal cavity. Implantation of these grafts, however, has been limited by extrusion, infection, and resorption. We introduce a novel surgical technique that uses autologous auricular cartilage to augment the turbinate and to restore the natural airflow patterns of the nasal cavity. We present a representative case of ENS caused by excessive inferior turbinate reduction that was improved by turbinate augmentation with autologous auricular cartilage.