What is Balloon Sinuplasty?

What is Balloon Sinuplasty?

June 26, 2019
Traditional sinus surgery is a proven and effective treatment for chronic sinus issues, but has a great number of downsides including:
  • Recovery can be painful and lengthy (requiring days to weeks off of work)
  • The surgery is performed in a hospital or surgical center leading to greater cost, patient anxiety and occurrence of complications
  • Potential damage to the nose and risk of scarring
  • The growing popularity of balloon sinuplasty for sinus issues is a direct result of the negative aspects of traditional surgery. This minimally-invasive procedure requires no cutting and no removal of bone and tissue.
In balloon sinuplasty, a small, flexible balloon catheter is used to open up blocked sinus passages and help with the drainage of mucus that builds us as a result of chronic sinusitis. The balloon catheter is inserted into the inflamed sinus and inflated to expand the sinus opening. Saline is sprayed into the opening to flush out mucus and pus before the system is removed. The balloon effectively restructures and widens the walls of the sinuses and they remain open. The procedure has been proven safe and effective in providing long-term relief from blocked sinus passageways and has a quick recovery with minimal bleeding and low post-op pain. At Palm Beach Sleep and Sinus, Dr. Agrama has successfully dilated over 2,500 sinuses since he began using Balloon Sinuplasty in 2006. We now offer the surgery as an awake procedure under local anesthesia. Low ambient light, music through headphones and the calm manner of our entire team creates an extremely serene and relaxing clinical setting. We avoid using narcotics and sedatives for the vast majority of patients to reduce the potential for complications. Instead, we begin by numbing with a series of gentle nose sprays and anesthesia-soaked cotton sheets placed inside the nose followed by tiny injections of anesthesia to minimize further discomfort. With its proven effectiveness and wide array of advantages over traditional sinus surgery, balloon sinuplasty may be an option for your chronic sinus problems. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Agrama to find out more about balloon sinuplasty and evaluate if your problem would benefit from the procedure.