Balloon Sinuplasty/In Office and Outpatient Surgical Settings

Nearly 29 million Americans suffer from chronic rhinosinusitis, with more than 500,000 sinus surgeries performed annually. Chronic rhinosinusitis can have significant effects on health and quality of life more disabling than angina, congestive heart failure, and back pain. For many years, patients suffering from recurring or persisting sinusitis were left with two choices:

• Manage their symptoms with ongoing rounds of medical therapy. Some patients are dissatisfied with the frequent rounds of antibiotics, steroids and decongestants, or have difficulty tolerating the side effects of medical therapy.
• Undergo endoscopic sinus surgery to expand the sinus drainage pathways by having tissue and bone removed with small cutting instruments. Recovery can often take from 7 to 10 days.

Balloon sinus dilation offers an effective alternative for appropriate sinusitis patients who are tired of ongoing medical therapy and cannot or do not want to undergo surgery, but want lasting relief with a quick recovery.

Many ENTs perform Balloon Sinuplasty in their offices using local anesthesia. This option appeals to patients who want relief from sinusitis symptoms and would prefer to avoid the stress and hassle of a hospital operating room procedure.