When you develop an upper respiratory infection, perhaps accompanying a cold or flu, you may experience sinusitis, where your airways become swollen and filled with mucus. Breathing can be difficult and your sinuses may be unable to drain, a necessary part of clearing the infection.
Without complete drainage, acute sinusitis can become chronic, as the infection creates conditions within the sinuses that become self-sustaining. The result is continuous or frequently recurring sinus infections that can be frustrating to treat.
Lakeshore Ear, Nose and Throat Center specializes in balloon sinuplasty, a minimally invasive treatment for chronic sinusitis that speeds mucus drainage and introduces space into clogged sinuses. The balloon sinuplasty approach has six key advantages over other treatments.
No incisions
Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive solution for chronic sinusitis. Under anesthesia, your ENT specialist introduces a balloon catheter into your sinus through the nose. The balloon is gently inflated, forcing mucus and pus out with a saline rinse.
As the balloon reaches full inflation, it presses back against the lining of the nasal passages and sinus walls, reducing inflammation and freeing up air passage before the balloon is deflated and removed.
Fast recovery
Most patients return to their regular activities within 24-48 hours after their procedure. While you need to avoid strenuous activity for about a week, recovery is typically uneventful. Your sinuses continue to drain. Antibiotics are prescribed to avoid additional infections.
Increased comfort
Compared with the incisions necessary for conventional sinus surgery, balloon sinuplasty is much easier to tolerate. Surgery requires packing your sinuses with gauze to slow bleeding, resulting in some discomfort in the week after the procedure. Balloon sinuplasty requires only saline rinses to keep sinus healing on track.
Reliable results
Treating sinusitis with medications can be frustrating, since your condition might not respond predictably. Corticosteroids are commonly used to reduce inflammation, but side effects and long-term danger to body tissue limit the extent of their use. Balloon sinuplasty delivers long-lasting freedom from the chronic sinusitis cycle.
Outpatient convenience
As an outpatient procedure that’s typically performed in ENT offices, you avoid the high costs of hospital procedures. The active portion of a balloon sinuplasty procedure is typically around 30 minutes. With local anesthetics, some patients can even drive themselves home after treatment.
Fewer side effects and complications
Since its approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005, balloon sinuplasty has proven to be a safe and reliable treatment for problem cases. It’s a straightforward procedure that has few complications.
When you have a problem with sinusitis, visit the specialists at Lakeshore Ear, Nose and Throat Center at the nearest of their six locations in the Detroit area. You can book your appointment with a call or click. Clearer breathing starts with your examination. Schedule it today.
