Balloon sinuplasty is less invasive and more easily tolerated than than functional endoscopic sinus surgery. | Pixabay/Mojpe
Balloon sinuplasty is less invasive and more easily tolerated than than functional endoscopic sinus surgery. | Pixabay/Mojpe
• Almost 29 million people in the U.S. suffer from chronic sinusitis.
• Balloon sinuplasty is less invasive, carries and a lower risk and has a shorter recovery period than traditional sinus surgery.
• Average recovery time for a balloon sinuplasty patient is one to two days.
Chronic sinusitis is one of the most common medical conditions among Americans, and it can negatively impact a person's quality of life, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The NCBI studied patients who sought relief from either functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) or balloon sinuplasty. Their findings were that both procedures are effective, but balloon sinuplasty patients needed fewer antibiotics afterwards. FESS involves removing sinus tissue, while balloon sinuplasty is "less traumatic" since this procedure relies on dilation to improve sinus function.
"Now we are able to go in and simply enlarge the openings of your sinuses, improve sinus function and drainage. We can also improve breathing with very minimally invasive techniques, trying to limit the amount of surgery we do," Dr. Monty Trimble, an otolaryngologist with Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers, told Dallas City Wire. "The goal is to get maximum benefit with minimal downside, in terms of invasiveness."
A balloon sinuplasty procedure only lasts about 10 to 15 minutes minutes with patient recovery time in one to two days, Dr. Bradley Eisemann of Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center pointed out. Most patients can go back to their normal activities in that same time period, even though some swelling could last about a week. FESS procedures, on the other hand, can take up to two hours and patients can expect to fully recover in up to four weeks while refraining from strenuous activities until that point.
About 11% of American adults are diagnosed with chronic sinusitis, according for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The condition is also responsible for 4.1 million doctor visits and 230,000 trips to the emergency room each year.
If you're interested in more information about diagnosis or treatment of chronic sinusitis, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.
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