Why Choose a Balloon Sinuplasty over a Traditional Sinus Surgery

Sinusitis can be a real pain in the nose. Although hardly life-threatening, this common constellation of symptoms can heavily interfere with your normal, day-to-day activities.

Sinusitis can be a real pain in the nose. Although hardly life-threatening, this common constellation of symptoms can heavily interfere with your normal, day-to-day activities. Your sinuses become inflamed to the point that you’re unable to perform the simplest of tasks. The good news is that a simple sinus infection can be easily treated with over-the-counter medication and decongestant sprays.

But if you have severe and recurring sinusitis that no longer responds to medication, a more in-depth treatment that offers a long-lasting solution might be in order, such as a balloon sinuplasty.

How Balloon Sinuplasty Works

The concept behind balloon sinuplasty is not something new; in fact, it borrows quite heavily from the field of cardiology. This procedure is similar to angioplasty, where a balloon is used to dilate blocked heart arteries.

The same concept applies to balloon sinuplasty. It is a minimally invasive medical procedure wherein a balloon is attached to a thin tube and inserted into the nasal cavities. The balloon will then inflate and will begin to put pressure on the ostia—the opening that connects the sinus to the nasal cavity—causing the airway passages to expand and clear out nasal obstructions.

Advantages of Balloon Sinuplasty

A more traditional route, such as an endoscopic sinus surgery, will often require opening the ostia and cutting away an inflamed tissue that needs to be removed. The sinus tissue plays an important role in clearing out the mucus in the airways. If a sinus surgeon cuts away too much tissue, this could prevent the tissue from functioning normally again. Some sinus procedures will also require nasal packing to prevent bleeding, which can be extremely uncomfortable.

A balloon sinuplasty is far less invasive; the tissue is not removed, but simply widened. Whenever I do a balloon sinuplasty, there is no cutting involved, which means there is minimal bleeding, faster healing, and a lowered risk of skin scarring. After the procedure, the natural form of the sinus cavities and their surrounding tissues are preserved.

Faster Recovery Time

If you have a busy schedule ahead of you, I highly recommend having a balloon sinuplasty, which has a shorter prep time and faster recovery. After the procedure, most patients recover faster than the traditional method and can return to normal activity within 24 hours. A conventional surgery will require the patient to take time off of work just to recover.

If comfort is on the top of your mind or you have a budget to consider, an in-office balloon sinuplasty may be what you need, as it comes with more comfortable surroundings and may have lower out-of-pocket expenses, compared to traditional surgery.

Another advantage to balloon sinuplasty is that it can be combined with other procedures—such as rhinoplasty—to improve both form and function of the nose. As a Los Angeles sinus doctor, I can easily coordinate with a cosmetic surgeon in order to perform this kind of procedure.