Balloon Sinuplasty: Treatment for Breathing & Sinus Issues

Some breathing and sinus issues are caused by chronic sinusitis. Our ear, nose and throat physicians in Phoenix may recommend Balloon Sinuplasty as a treatment for breathing and sinus issues if you have not responded to medications, nasal steroids or over-the-counter drugs.

What is Sinusitis?

Sinusitis is defined as inflammation of the linings in any of your sinus cavities due to infection or blockage. This inflammation can disrupt the normal drainage of mucus, leading to facial pain/pressure, congestion, loss of smell, headache, ear pain, sore throat and more.

There are four of these air-filled pockets behind your facial bones – each is lined with soft tissue and a thin layer of mucus:

• Frontal sinuses: low center of your forehead
• Maxillary sinuses: cheekbones, near your nose
• Ethmoid sinuses: between your eyes
• Sphenoid sinuses: behind your nose 

Chronic sinusitis is defined as an infection that lasts 3 months or longer. You can also be diagnosed with chronic sinusitis if you have several sinusitis episodes a year.

What to Expect During Balloon Sinuplasty

Balloon sinuplasty is an effective method to relieve pain and pressure caused by chronic sinusitis. It’s a minimally-invasive and safe method for relief that may not require general anesthesia. The procedure involves 4 simple steps:

1.  A small, flexible balloon catheter is gently inserted into the inflamed sinus area.
2. The balloon is slowly inflated to open the blocked sinus area.
3. Saline is sprayed into the cavity to flush out mucus that has collected in the area.
4. The balloon is gently removed and the sinuses remain clear.

We use Balloon Sinuplasty tools created by Stryker and Acclarent to help our patients find relief from their painful symptoms.

What to Expect After Balloon Sinuplasty

Most patients only need 2 days to recover from balloon sinuplasty. During that time, you may experience mild discomfort in your nasal area and nasal congestion, but this is usually temporary. Bruising and scarring is not common. Nasal saline rinses will help keep your sinuses clear and prevent infection. In clinical trials, 96% of patients experienced positive results from their Balloon Sinuplasty treatment.

You Have Questions: We Have Answers

When you come in for your appointment, we’ll cover commonly asked questions about balloon sinuplasty such as:

• Where are sinuses located?
• Is sinusitis serious?
• What is balloon sinuplasty?
• Is balloon sinuplasty safe?
• How long is recovery after balloon sinuplasty?
• And many more

To find out if you have sinusitis and if Balloon Sinuplasty in Phoenix is the right treatment to improve your breathing and sinus problems, contact our office today at (602) 956-1250 or click here to request an appointment.