What Sinus Surgery is Right for Me?
Nov 17, 2017
Once you’ve identified structural problems or allergens, it’s time to begin treatment. Dr. Zadeh offers a variety of treatment options, ranging from non-invasive treatments to surgical procedures. Your treatment will vary based on your specific nasal structure and the severity of the obstruction.
In general, Dr. Zadeh will usually recommend non-surgical methods as the first step in treatment so you can avoid surgery if possible. He will closely monitor your condition to determine if surgery is necessary. Dr. Zadeh aims to treat the underlying causes of your sinus and breathing problems and will help you navigate all available treatment options.
The decision to have surgery is important. However, non-surgical treatments can provide an effective alternative to surgery and help you avoid a more invasive treatment. The non-surgical alternatives include:
It is important to maintain your treatment regimen for four to six weeks before determining if it has been effective. If you have tried one or more non-surgical methods, it may be time to consider surgery if you are still experiencing difficulties in breathing, or suffer from snoring, sleep apnea, headaches, or other symptoms.
If a structural problem or a growth (polyp) occurs within the nose, non-surgical methods may not be effective and the underlying structural abnormality must be treated with surgery to reshape your nose and remove the obstruction.
If you opt for surgery, choosing the right surgery is vital to safe and effective treatment. We offer many surgical options, each appropriate to resolve specific issues.
Choosing a surgical procedure must first begin with an accurate diagnosis. We use a variety of testing methods to determine the cause of your sinus problems. From allergy testing to CT (computed tomography) scans of your internal sinus structure, we use advanced technology to get an accurate picture of your sinuses and nasal passageways.
You can only begin to consider surgical options once the underlying problem is confirmed through testing. Surgical procedures can include:
The most common form of surgery, endoscopic sinus surgery removes tissue and bone to open nasal passages. The procedure doesn’t involve any visible incisions and does not leave visible scarring. The endoscope used during the procedure contains a fiberoptic lens to locate and effectively treat the obstruction.
The entire procedure takes approximately one to three hours depending on the severity of the obstruction. Learn more here.
This method of endoscopic sinus surgery is minimally invasive and does not require any incisions. A device with a tiny balloon is inserted into the sinuses via the nasal cavity, and the balloon is gradually inflated. The inflation of the balloon compacts the tissue, clearing the airways and reducing congestion.
The tissue is not removed during the procedure, so those with nasal polyps or other growths may require a different surgical treatment. Balloon sinuplasty surgery procedure has a much quicker recovery time than traditional endoscopic sinus surgery as it does not involve any incisions that require time to heal. Learn more here.
Turbinates, the small bones that extend into the nasal cavity, can become enlarged due to allergies, infections, persistent inflammation, hormonal changes, or other issues. Medication or other non-surgical methods can be effective in treating the enlarged area if caused by allergies and bacterial or viral infections. However, if inflammation persists, surgical reduction may be necessary. This type of surgery also does not require any incisions that will leave visible scars and is performed within the nose structure. Learn more here.
Polyps, or growths on the nasal passages and sinuses, cannot be reduced with medication or non-surgical methods. Small polyps may not cause a problem, but larger polyps can block nasal passages and cause sinus infections, snoring, headaches, or a diminished sense of smell.
As polyps can only be treated with surgery, accurate diagnosis is vital to treatment. However, polyps are easily identified by Dr. Zadeh’s advanced imaging technology, allowing you to avoid trial-and-error with medication and get the correct procedure to treat this condition. Learn more here.