22 Jul What DetermineS if Balloon Sinuplasty May be Right—or Wrong—for You?

A Balloon Sinuplasty can provide relief for many people who suffer from chronic sinus infections by opening blocked nasal passageways. If you suffer from chronic sinus health problems, you may be wondering if Balloon Sinuplasty can work for you. The key to understanding whether or not you will be cured with this treatment, is first and foremost, an accurate diagnosis that identifies the underlying causes of your sinus symptoms.

Balloon Sinuplasty is one of many—proven safe and effective—techniques or procedures used in treating sinus disease. Discover more about Balloon Sinuplasty and the factors which may determine whether this treatment may be the answer for you.

What it is and who can benefit
Balloon Sinuplasty is used to treat patients with chronic or reoccurring sinusitis, where swelling and inflammation occur in specific areas of the sinuses, preventing normal drainage. In some cases, patients who experience reoccurring acute sinusitis and facial pressure/pain may have sinus openings that are narrow and more susceptible to becoming blocked and infected with any inciting factor—like the common cold.

Why Balloon Sinuplasty
Balloon Sinuplasty is a minimally invasive treatment, usually performed in-office, with a short recovery time. Because there is no cutting involved in performing Balloon Sinuplasty, the patient’s natural sinus openings and surrounding tissue are all preserved. The procedure offers many advantages for appropriate patients, providing lasting results equivalent to more-invasive, traditional sinus surgery (FESS)—without the discomfort and risked involved with extensive tissue or bone removal.

How it works
It utilizes a small, flexible ballon to open specific sinus passages, which allows the mucus to drain normally. This alleviates the pain, congestion and discharge associated with chronic sinusitis. Balloon dilation gently restructures and restores the passageways creating more space, which therefore enables normal functioning to return and helps prevents reoccurrence of symptoms—once they are cleared out.

Other options and the importance of accurate diagnosis

While balloon sinus surgery provides patients with many advantages, the balloon is only one of many sinus surgery instruments. It is not a fix all procedure that works in every case, as it is sometimes touted. The fact is, it simply is not a suitable course of treatment for some patients. An accurate diagnosis of your condition or conditions is absolutely critical to understanding whether Balloon Sinuplasty will work—or not—for you.

The underlying cause or causes of your sinusitis is the most important fundamental factor in determining the best choices for you and your treatment path.

When Balloon Sinuplasty may NOT be the answer
As previously stated, the most effective treatment course for you depend upon your particular circumstances. Those who may not likely be good candidates for Balloon Sinuplasty include patients with chronic inflammatory conditions that cannot be adequately, consistently, or safely controlled with oral medications longterm, and which do not resolve from surgical therapy alone. In these cases, the goal is to improve symptoms AND the long-term ability to manage the condition through wide-open sinuses, which is not feasible with a Balloon Sinuplasty alone.

Examples of chronic inflammatory conditions include:

• Allergic fungal sinusitis (with thick, sticky mucous that fails to drain)
• Chronic sinusitis with extensive nasal polyps (a result of inflammation)
• Chronic sinusitis caused by moderate to severe inhalant allergies (molds, pollens, pet dander, etc.) that cannot be avoided and do not respond to medical management alone
• Samter’s triad (asthma, nasal polyps, and aspirin sensitivity)

Bottom line
The essential takeaway is there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. But there ARE solutions! There are numerous methods and treatments available to help you manage sinus disease and provide you with effective relief. Balloon Sinuplasty may be the answer for you or part of a treatment approach. Regardless, there are many advanced options that can provide real results for each unique patient.

To find out if you may be a good candidate for Balloon Sinuplasty and to learn more about your treatment options, contact us today. The Ohio Sinus Institute offers the latest, safest, and most advanced techniques available. Let us help you find the treatment approach that’s right for you.

Give us a call to schedule your personalized consultation now.