The problem with empty nose syndrome is probably not that it does not exist, it is that we cannot adequately explain its existence by what we currently understand about the nose. The result of empty nose syndrome or iatrogenic atrophic rhinitis as a consequence of turbinectomy remains a controversial topic that deserves further scrutiny. It is clear from the literature, that not everyone undergoing a turbinectomy procedure suffers from the debilitating symptoms of either atrophic rhinitis or empty nose syndrome. Thus, it behooves us to evaluate this latter entity with a more critical eye, so that we can avoid creating future sufferers and provide relief to those who have already been afflicted.