Chronic sinusitis can prevent you from being active while lowering your quality of life. If you have chronic sinusitis that doesn’t respond to medication, you may be a candidate for Balloon Sinuplasty.
This breakthrough procedure is pretty effective in providing long-term relief from the debilitating symptoms of chronic sinusitis. Keep reading to learn more about chronic sinusitis and how the Balloon Sinuplasty system may be able to help.
What is Chronic Sinusitis?
Sinusitis is the inflammation and swelling in your sinuses and nose. It becomes a chronic condition when the symptoms persist for over 12 weeks at a time. Chronic sinusitis causes symptoms such as:
- Stuffy or blocked nose
- Fatigue
- Aching upper jaw
- Bad breath
- A lack of sleep
- Sinus headaches
- Painful facial pressure
- Toothache
- Ear pain
- Sore throat
- Thick, discolored nasal discharge
- Postnasal drip
- Cough
- Reduced sense of taste and smell
Your ENT specialist at Suburban Otolaryngology may recommend Balloon Sinuplasty if other medical management options like antibiotics and steroids cannot control your chronic sinusitis.
What is the Balloon Sinuplasty System?
Balloon Sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that relieves the pain and pressure linked to chronic sinusitis. The FDA-approved treatment is a popular alternative to traditional sinus surgery for many patients.
It’s designed to alleviate the symptoms of chronic sinus infections without interfering with the natural drainage system of your sinuses and nose.
How Balloon Sinuplasty Works
Before undergoing Balloon Sinuplasty, you’ll receive topical or general anesthesia to prevent feeling any pain while undergoing treatment. During the procedure, your surgeon will insert a tiny, flexible balloon catheter through the nose and into the affected sinus cavity.
The balloon is then gradually inflated to open and reshape your sinus passage. Gently dilating the balloon enlarges constricted sinus openings.
Enlarging formerly constricted sinus openings allows your sinuses to remain open and drain properly, relieving sinus pressure and pain. Once done, the balloon is deflated and removed. Your surgeon may provide anti-inflammatories to aid with any mild discomfort as you recover.
Balloon Sinuplasty is an outpatient procedure that usually takes less than an hour to complete. The results from Balloon Sinuplasty are permanent.
Most patients never need to have the procedure repeated. However, if you have a more advanced case of chronic sinusitis, you may require an additional procedure like an endoscopic sinus surgery.
Long-Term Results of Balloon Sinuplasty
In addition to relieving sinus pain and pressure, patients also experience the following after Balloon Sinuplasty:
- Minimal discomfort
- Significant reduction in sinus infections
- Better breathing through the nose
- Permanent results
- Improved quality of life
What to Expect During Recovery
It is normal to experience bloody nasal drainage for the first 1 to 2 days following your procedure. Over the next few days, the discharge should become lighter in color and reduce in quantity.
Because there’s no tissue or bone removed during a Balloon Sinuplasty, you’ll have less bleeding. You also may not need to have your nose packed with gauze, which can be very uncomfortable.
Feeling congested is normal, but it should go away in a few days as you continue healing. There’s also mild swelling and tenderness for 24 to 48 hours, which disappear quickly. Additionally, you may have a slight sinus headache that a prescribed painkiller can easily manage.
Your ENT specialist will advise you to:
- Refrain from strenuous activities like contact sports, swimming, jogging, and aerobics during recovery.
- Avoid any nose blowing for the first week to prevent bleeding. Blowing your nose could damage your sinuses and lead to excessive bleeding. Instead, sniff back any discharge. If bleeding occurs, blow very lightly into a tissue to remove the blood. Don’t hold back sneezing but do so with your mouth open.
- Stay away from anything that might thin your blood and increase your chances of bleeding. These include alcohol and pain relievers like aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain killers such as Aleve and Advil.
Although recovery varies from patient to patient, most people can resume their daily routine within 24 to 48 hours following treatment. Because there’s a quick recovery, Balloon Sinuplasty is an excellent option if you have a busy schedule.
Benefits of Balloon Sinuplasty
Some of the benefits of balloon sinuplasty include:
Highly Effective
Medical therapy for chronic sinusitis can fail to work or cause unwanted side effects. For many people, Balloon Sinuplasty is a highly effective treatment that helps them avoid the side effects of medication use.
The procedure addresses the root cause of your chronic sinusitis and offers lasting relief. Although patients may experience minor symptoms following Balloon Sinuplasty, these usually dissipate soon after the procedure.
Minimally Invasive
Compared to more traditional sinus surgeries, Balloon Sinuplasty is minimally invasive. Sinus surgery involves removing tissue and bone, which might result in later complications.
Conventional sinus surgery also has a longer recovery time. Balloon Sinuplasty is less invasive, significantly reducing the risk of complications.
The procedure has minimal downtime, with patients seeing results almost instantly.
Incredibly Safe
In the hands of an experienced surgeon, Balloon Sinuplasty is one of the safest treatment options available. The treatment is quite popular because of its low complication risks and high success rates.
Long-Lasting Outcomes
Numerous studies show that most patients enjoy the benefits of Balloon Sinuplasty for at least two years. That’s better than what’s attained with traditional sinus surgeries.
Find Lasting Relief from Chronic Sinusitis
You don’t have to continue dealing with never-ending headaches, poor quality of sleep, chronic fatigue, loss of productivity, and constant discomfort. With Balloon Sinuplasty at Suburban Otolaryngology, you can get your symptoms under control by undergoing a highly effective procedure.
Stop letting chronic sinusitis run your life. Request an appointment at Suburban Otolaryngology in Berwyn, IL, to find out if Balloon Sinuplasty could be right for you!
