Balloon Sinuplasty is a state-of-the-art, minimally-invasive endoscopic sinus surgery for patients suffering from chronic sinusitis but not responding to medication treatments.

“I’m often asked how fast patients will recover from balloon sinuplasty,” says Hao “Mimi” Tran, M.D., F.A.C.S., a board-certified otolaryngologist at The Ear, Nose, Throat & Plastic Surgery Associates. “Typically, this procedure is done in the office, under some local anesthesia in the nose, lasting about sixty minutes or less.”

According to Dr. Tran, patients can return home on their own power almost immediately after the procedure and can resume their daily routine within days.

Dr. Tran Says:

“Patients are normally able to walk out and drive themselves home,” she says. “The recovery process is very minimal. Most of my patients are back to working out, performing at their job, and carrying out daily activities within a day or two.”

What Is Balloon Sinuplasty?

Sinusitis is one of the more prevalent health conditions in the U.S., impacting over 37 million people annually. Since it first started being used in 2006, balloon sinuplasty has emerged as a more popular and less invasive alternative to traditional sinus surgery to open blocked sinus passageways.

Acute or chronic sinusitis clogs the sinus pathways causing:

• Sinus pressure, congestion, and difficulty with nasal breathing
• Sinus headaches
• Fatigue and sore throat
• Tenderness and swelling around the eyes, cheeks, nose, and forehead

Balloon sinuplasty is a leading-edge FDA-approved procedure to free the sinus pathways, restore normal sinus drainage, and alleviate sinusitis symptoms. The surgeon employs a small, flexible balloon to open and restructure nasal passageways in much the same manner as a cardiologist would open blocked arteries during balloon angioplasty.

Results and Recovery After Balloon Sinuplasty?

Balloon sinuplasty is a less invasive option for patients who have not found relief from prescribed antibiotics – a situation that an estimated 20% of sinusitis sufferers find themselves in – and can be performed under local anesthetic with a speedy recovery.

Balloon sinuplasty has several advantages over traditional sinus surgery including:

• Reduced pain
• Quicker recovery times
• Bone and tissues remain intact
• Minimal bleeding

According to Dr. Tran, patients experience minimal discomfort and can avoid the use of prescribed pain medication following the balloon sinuplasty procedure. “Most of my patients just take plain Tylenol, if anything, for their sinus discomfort,” says Dr. Tran.

“With conventional sinus surgery done in the operating room, the sinuses are opened up with bone cutting instruments. This leads to more discomfort, more pain, and increased bleeding. The recovery is typically anywhere from three to five and up to seven days, and many patients need narcotic medication afterward for conventional sinus surgery.”

Over 150,000 patients have had their chronic sinusitis treated safely with the procedure, and over 95% of patients have demonstrated an improvement in sinus symptoms.

“Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally-invasive way to open up the sinuses with less discomfort,” confirms Dr. Tran.

For more information about balloon sinuplasty or sinus surgery, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions and address your concerns.