Balloon Sinus Dilation
Balloon Sinus Dilation (also known as Balloon Sinuplasty) is a proven, minimally invasive, simple endoscopic sinus procedure designed to open blocked sinus passages, allowing for adequate airflow and drainage.
What Is Sinusitis?
Sinusitis is defined as an inflammation of the tissue that lines the sinus cavity. In some cases, the swelling (inflammation) completely blocks the sinuses, trapping mucus and air inside. The trapped mucus can turn into a bacterial sinus infection and result in a variety of symptoms.
Sinusitis affects 37 million Americans every year, and although medications may help the majority of people, there are still many people who require additional procedures for relief of their symptoms. If you have been diagnosed with chronic sinusitis or recurrent acute sinusitis (4 or more episodes of sinusitis per year) and are not responding to traditional treatments, you may be a strong candidate for balloon sinuplasty. This is a minimally invasive procedure that allows for a quicker recovery for sinusitis patients. Our expert physicians are very experienced in performing balloon sinuplasty.
Symptoms Of Sinusitis
- Thick, discolored discharge from the nose or post-nasal drainage down the back of the throat
- Nasal obstruction or congestion, making breathing through the nose very difficult
- Pain, tenderness, and/or swelling around the eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead
- Reduced sense of smell and taste
- Ear pain
- Aching in the upper jaw and teeth
- Cough that worsens at night
- Bad breath
- Fatigue
Diagnosing Sinus Disease
Our providers will conduct a detailed patient history with a physical examination. They might look at your nasal cavity with a small scope. Additional testing, such as allergy testing, a CT scan, or an MRI, may also be ordered to confirm the diagnosis of the nasal obstruction.
What is Balloon Sinus Dilation and how does it work?
Our Physicians use balloon sinus dilation for recurrent and/or chronic sinusitis sufferers.
Balloon Sinus Dilation (also known as Balloon Sinuplasty) is a proven, minimally invasive, simple endoscopic sinus procedure designed to open blocked sinus passages, allowing for adequate airflow and drainage. The goal of balloon sinus dilation is to end the cycle of sinusitis (sinus infections) once and for all. The procedure is pretty straightforward and we perform it in our offices as an outpatient procedure. The balloon sinuplasty procedure is significantly less invasive and much more innovative than traditional sinus surgery, which can be more difficult to recover from due to the cutting and excising of nasal bone or tissue (to reopen the sinus cavities). The balloon sinuplasty recovery process is very expeditious and much less painful, permitting patients to return to their normal daily activities rapidly.
The benefit of balloon sinus dilation is that the inflated balloon gently opens and reshapes the sinus passage without requiring tissue or bone removal. This will minimize potential scarring and shorten healing time. In addition, there is little to no downtime as most patients return to normal activities within a day or two!
Balloon sinus dilation has many benefits for addressing recurrent or chronic sinus disease including:
- Is a safe procedure
- Is performed in the comfort of our office, instead of the hospital or operating room
- Has minimal discomfort (topical and local anesthesia is provided)
- There is less pain, risk of infection, blood loss, bruising, and swelling.
- Shorter recovery time. Most patients return to work and normal activities within a day or two.
- In many well designed clinical studies, Balloon Sinus Dilation was shown to have a 94% success rate.
Simple
Your physician will use a simple balloon catheter device to dilate and open the natural sinus passage way. The balloon is then removed to restore proper drainage and airflow.
Quick
The procedure only takes about 30 minutes and the recovery is over in as little as 24 hours.
Effective
Farragut ENT has treated thousands of patients with balloon sinuplasty to resolve their chronic sinus issues.
Will I Still Need Nasal Medications After The Procedure?
There are many factors that lead to sinus disease. The procedure addresses the anatomy of the sinuses and helps facilitate drainage of the sinuses. There are also physiologic issues that cause sinus disease. The use of medications after your procedure will be based on your specific situation and medical issues. Typically our patients are able to see continued relief with fewer medications after this procedure. Of course, this can vary by the patient.
Balloon Sinus Dilation Results
In clinical studies, Balloon sinus dilation has demonstrated a 94% success rate, which is very similar to the traditional, more invasive sinus surgery.
Is Balloon Sinus Dilation Right For Me?
Balloon sinuplasty is a procedure our expert providers utilize to treat recurrent and chronic sinus issues. Balloon sinuplasty may be particularly beneficial to patients that been diagnosed with sinusitis, that does not respond to optimal medical therapy, or frequently become reinfected. Our providers will discuss with you whether or not you are a candidate for full or partial treatment using balloon sinuplasty.
Typically, patients with the following symptoms may benefit from the procedure:
- Recurrent sinus infections that do not respond to medication
- Headaches around the eyes
- Chronic bad breath and/or foul taste in the mouth
- Difficulty breathing through the nose
- Chronic nasal problems
Most of our patients are candidates for Balloon sinus dilation. There may be special circumstances, where your provider recommends other procedures based on your specific history and detailed examination. Some of these situations may include:
- Severe septal deviation
- Severe polyposis or fungal sinusitis
- Eosinophilic Disorders
- Facial trauma
- Cystic fibrosis
- Samter’s Triad: Samter’s triad is a medical condition consisting of asthma, aspirin and NSAID sensitivity, and nasal/ethmoidal polyposis
Contact our sinus experts and schedule an appointment to discuss your options today.
Farragut ENT and Allergy has expert doctors that are dedicated to solving your sinus problems.
You don’t have to live a life plagued by sinus troubles. Breathe easy knowing that Farragut ENT and Allergy is here to help!