Housatonic Valley News

• Balloon sinuplasty was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005.
• The procedure can help treat chronic sinusitis with long-lasting effects.
• Balloon dilation is minimally invasive, and there's no cutting or removal of bones or tissue.

Balloon sinuplasty, which is also known as balloon catheter dilation surgery, is a procedure that clears blocked sinuses. It's a relatively new procedure, having been approved by the FDA in 2005. It is sometimes referred to as the “smart sinus” procedure.

According to Healthline, balloon sinuplasty is recommended for people with chronic sinusitis, after other treatments for their condition have proven ineffective. There's no cutting, no removal of bones or tissue, and reported complications are minimal.

A balloon sinuplasty is an in-office procedure that's simple and only takes about an hour, according to Entellus Medical. The preparation takes about thirty minutes and involves anesthetics being applied to the nose for more comfort. A thin instrument with a balloon is then guided through your sinus, the balloon is gently inflated for five seconds with saline, and when your sinuses open, the balloon is removed.

Dr. Robert Weiss of CT ENT Sinus Center says a balloon sinuplasty is an effective procedure that's minimally invasive, and patients can return to their normal lives very quickly. 

"A typical patient undergoes a balloon sinuplasty in the office," Weiss told Housatonic Valley News. "(This is) what I tell them about the first week: You're going to have a stuffy nose. You can go back to work. You can go back to school. You can go back to the gym. Usually, we say to allow about 24 to 48 hours before you return to the gym, but you're not going to be bruised. You're not going to be swollen. There's no packing in the nose. There's nothing left inside the nose. But still expect to be congested and stuffy for a week to ten days. After that, it's a gradual resolution of that stuffiness and usually back by six weeks, maybe up to eight weeks, and all of the healing is done. All of the internal swellings are down, and that's when most people are going to notice the improvements. They breathe better through their nose, their ears aren't clogged. They're not getting sinus headaches, that sort of thing. It's a durable long-term result."

Physical symptoms of chronic sinusitis can include nasal inflammation, a runny nose, postnasal drainage, congestion, pain or swelling in the face, headaches, loss of smell and taste, a sore threat, bad breath or fatigue, according to Mayo Clinic.

For more information about the symptoms of chronic sinusitis and allergies, please take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.