Will Balloon Sinuplasty Work for Me?

Have you been struggling with the feeling of a blocked nose? Or have you noticed that you frequently get sinus infections? This may be do to having a condition called chronic sinusitis. It is hard to live with when you can’t naturally breathe right through your nose. We can help to fix this problem with balloon sinuplasty. 

What is Balloon Sinuplasty?

Ear, nose, and throat doctors use balloon sinuplasty to treat people with blocked sinuses. People who have chronic sinusitis who don’t respond to medications might also be candidates for balloon sinuplasty. This procedure was cleared for use by the USFDA in 2005. It dilates the nasal passages using a balloon over a catheter. Once the catheter becomes placed in nasal passages, the balloon gets inflated. The end result of this procedure is to widen the sinus passages and help the nose to drain normally.

Describing the Balloon Sinuplasty

Sinus surgeries are primarily performed in hospitals, outpatient surgical rooms, or under local anesthetic in the doctor’s office. Our balloon sinuplasty specialist inserts a guide wire into the sinus in question to confirm access. These guide wires have a light on the tip of the wire to help the health care provider place the balloon catheter. When the doctor gains access to the blocked sinus, the balloon gets inflated. The balloon sinuplasty takes about 30 minutes to complete. The sinus should remain open after the balloon gets removed and should stay open for about two years. 

Research Regarding the Effectiveness of Balloon Sinuplasty

Several studies done in regards to the effectiveness of this procedure shows that it is successful in many cases. The benefits of balloon sinuplasty include that the procedure is:

• Quite safe. Only 0.1 percent complication rate exists in about 900 patients studied.
• Results from having the treatment deliver significant and lasting improvement from sinusitis symptoms. 
• The method works well for qualified patients with chronic sinusitis, sphenoid disease, patients with or without allergies, septal deviations, and previous surgeries.
• Performed comfortably under local anesthesia in a doctor’s office. 
• Similar to functional endoscopic sinus surgery in its effectiveness. 
• Appropriate for lessening the incidence of sinus infections. 
• Less invasive than other types of sinus surgery. 

Patients who have this procedure tend to have a significantly faster recovery. They also bleed less and require less prescription pain medication. Also, people who wouldn’t qualify for more traditional methods of sinus surgery might be eligible for balloon sinuplasty, such as:

• Older patients, 
• Those with problems with anesthetic, 
• People with certain health conditions. 

Who Qualifies for a Balloon Sinuplasty?

One of the main experiences that qualify a person for balloon sinuplasty is a persistent sinus infection or frequently recurring sinus infections. People who have three significant sinus infections a year over two years qualify for this treatment. Or a person who has a sinus infection for longer than three months that doesn’t respond to treatment might qualify for balloon sinuplasty. 

Only an ear, nose, and throat specialist can decide whether you are a good candidate for this procedure. Our highly trained and experienced doctors provide balloon sinuplasty procedures for their patients at our office. Dr. Gordon Shields specializes in nasal disorders and performs balloon sinuplasty in our office. Please contact Dr. Shields at Alabama Ear, Nose, and Throat to discover whether a balloon sinuplasty might improve your sinus condition. We look forward to hearing from you.