If you’re suffering from chronic sinusitis and have exhausted your treatment options, you may be a candidate for Balloon Sinuplasty. This minimally invasive surgical solution is a safe and effective method of enlarging your sinus passages for easier breathing and a drastic reduction in sinusitis symptoms.
What Is Sinusitis?
Recurrent Acute Sinusitis and Chronic sinusitis are widespread conditions affecting more than 37 million Americans. These infections of the sinuses occur when the sinus opening becomes blocked, decreasing airflow and preventing mucus from draining properly. They cause cold-like symptoms that include congestion, runny nose, sore throat, facial pain and swelling, pain in the upper teeth, loss of smell or taste, bad breath, fatigue and headache.
It is most often caused by viral infections, but can also occur as a result of nasal polyps, a deviated septum or head trauma. Medical solutions and allergy shots work for some, but others continue to suffer despite numerous attempts using a variety of treatments. Balloon Sinuplasty may be the answer.
What’s Different About Balloon Sinuplasty?
Conventional sinus surgical procedures involve cutting and excision of bone and tissue. Dissolvable packing is often used to help control bleeding. The average recovery period is about 5 days long. Balloon sinuplasty dilates (widens) the openings of your natural sinus openings without removing tissue. For that reason, it causes less pain and has a much shorter average recovery period of only about a day and a half. It almost never requires packing.
Balloon Sinuplasty can be performed in the office quick (the actual operating time is often under 30 minutes), and has a lower risk of complications or side effects. It is FDA-approved and considered a safe alternative to endoscopic sinus surgery.
How Is Balloon Sinuplasty Performed?
Balloon Sinuplasty is typically performed in an outpatient setting. You’ll usually be given an oral sedative and a local anesthetic to help keep you comfortable while your ENT surgeon uses an endoscope to help guide the balloon catheter into your sinuses. The balloon is then inflated to enlarge the sinus opening and widen the walls of the nasal passages. The goal is to permanently enlarge your sinus opening to improve drainage and air-flow.
During the surgery a saline solution is often sprayed into the sinuses to flush out mucus and other debris; the catheter is then removed. Up to 95 percent of patients report a significant improvement in sinus symptoms following this procedure.
If you are interested in Balloon Sinuplasty, speak with your doctor or call ENT Associates of Worcester directly.