Balloon Sinuplasty
Reports indicate that nearly 37 million Americans suffer from chronic sinusitis. Balloon sinuplasty is designed to help bring relief to those that experience problems or chronic infections with their sinuses. This procedure is popular due to it being minimally invasive and the quick recovery time.
Why Balloon Sinuplasty?
Traditionally, functional endoscopic sinus surgery, or FESS, has been a very effective tool for dealing with patients whose sinus disease cannot be controlled by medication alone. But, like all surgical procedures, there is an inherent recovery period that requires missed time from work or school. Balloon sinus surgery, in the appropriately selected patients, can help patients avoid the need for downtime or recovery.
Balloon Sinuplasty Video
Watch a video of Balloon Sinpuplasty by clicking the button below
How Does Balloon Sinuplasty Work?
The patient, under some light oral anesthesia, is brought to the office by a family member or friend. The majority of the time of the procedure is spent slowly and gently numbing the inside of the patient’s nose. This ensures the patient feels little or no discomfort during the procedure.
Once the patient has been made comfortable a small balloon is gently and carefully guided to the opening of diseased sinus. The balloon is then expanded to widen the opening of the sinus. The widened opening allows for better ventilation of the sinus, thus, leading to decreased inflammation of the sinuses and improved symptoms.
Balloon Sinuplasty Recovery
The patient will need to take it easy for the rest of the day due to oral medications that were taken. But, the following day the patient can resume normal activities, including work and exercise. The patient will need to perform nasal saline irrigations daily for a few weeks for proper healing.
Advantages
Some of the many advantages of balloon sinuplasty include:
- Safe and less invasive
- Effective
- Quick recovery time
- Local anesthesia
The Ideal Candidate
Patients with the following symptoms may benefit from balloon sinuplasty.
- Difficulty breathing through the nose
- Chronic nasal problems
- Headache around the eyes
- Frequent sinus infections that do not respond to medication
Are You a Candidate for Balloon Sinuplasty?
The best way to know is to make an appointment with Northeast Georgia Otolaryngology so that one of our skilled surgeons can evaluate you. A CT scan of the sinuses will be necessary to properly diagnose your sinus disease. Fortunately, we can perform this quickly, with less radiation and less cost with our in-office scanner. It is important to know that balloon sinuplasty does not help all sinus-related problems. As well, all insurances do not cover the procedure equally. But, your consultation will help determine if this procedure is right for you.
If you would like to learn more about balloon sinuplasty or if you think you are a candidate and would like to speak to one of our medical professionals, contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you.