Balloon Sinuplasty Treatment
What is Balloon Sinuplasty?
Balloon Sinuplasty is a technique used for the treatment of Chronic (i.e unremitting long term) or recurrent Acute Sinusitis (i.e where there are repeated sinus infections with the sinuses clearing up between episodes).
Suitability for this (or any other) form of surgical treatment for this condition requires careful evaluation in outpatients by a dedicated Rhinologist, who will examine the nose painlessly using an endoscope and whose diagnosis will usually be confirmed by a CT Scan (specialised X ray) of the sinuses themselves.
How it is treated?
Current 'minimally invasive' surgery for long term sinus problems is based around the principles of 'Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery' (or FESS for short) which involves operating up through the nostrils with custom made cameras (endoscopes) and instruments and shavers specifically designed for this purpose.
In the vast majority of patients, these techniques are extremely successful and safe.
Balloon Sinuplasty has recently been added to this armamentarium. This is based on the same principles as those used by Cardiologists when they perform angioplasty to stretch diseased arteries in your heart.
Using this technology, a small lighted guidewire is passed up into the sinus and over this is placed a collapsed balloon. This balloon is then inflated to stretch the opening of the sinus to allow drainage of any infection stuck in the sinus, but also to permit the future easy normal passage of mucous from the sinus into the nose.
This technique can be seen in action in the ‘Gallery’ section of www.nosesurgeon.co.uk
Other Information
Balloon Sinuplasty is not suitable for everybody, but if it is, it can make a major difference to your quality of life after surgery. It is generally painless and has the least possible chance of complication following this surgery.
This information was written for Spencer Private Hospitals by Mr Henry Sharp, Consultant ENT Surgeon / Rhinologist and Nasal Plastic Surgeon www.nosesurgeon.co.uk