Balloon Sinuplasty

Certain patients get affected with chronic conditions of sinusitis while some others do not even respond to medications prescribed for sinusitis. During such cases, ENT surgeons recommend a “safe and effective” surgical procedure called Balloon Sinuplasty or BSP.

The surgery was first introduced in 2005 by Acclarent, Inc., a US based technology developing company for the ENT medical field. This is a common and non-invasive surgical process for patients seeking relief from the painful chronic symptoms of sinusitis by using balloons rather than endoscopic instruments to dilate the sinus cavities. Unlike the other conventional methods of sinus surgeries, balloon sinuplasty does not involve any removal of bone or tissue hence causing less damage to the surrounding tissues and keeping the sinus cavities open naturally.

Surgical procedure of Balloon Sinuplasty

Balloon sinuplasty was typically performed under general anesthesia but doctors nowadays consider using local anesthesia too. The process has evolved positively since its introduction in 2005 and now can be carried out in the doctor’s office itself.

The whole process is carried out in three steps as follows:

• A thin, small, flexible balloon tube is inserted into the sinus and is used to open up the infected mucous-blocked sinus passages by inflating the balloon.
• The surgeon then flushes the insides of the sinus using saline which in turn drains away the pus and mucous present in the infected sinus.
• On removing the balloon tube, the once blocked passageway remains open for better drainage of nasal fluids.

Advantages of Balloon Sinuplasty

Live Balloon Sinoplasty showing transluminence on the patient’s forehead confirming the balloon in the left frontal sinus

Performing balloon sinuplasty for chronic sinusitis conditions is advantageous because of the following reasons:

• The procedure is extremely simple and involves lesser complications.
• The whole process is less time consuming since it takes lesser steps to be completed.
• The patient after having undergone balloon sinuplasty can return to normal activities very quickly.
• Balloon sinuplasty is performed without having to damage the integrity of the insides of the sinus.
• Balloon sinuplasty is completely in contrast to the traditional sinus surgery that involves the cutting and removal of the bone or tissue from the nose.

Success Rate Study

• Studies have confirmed that about 95% of balloon sinuplasty cases were successful and patients were satisfied with the outcome.
• Also 95% of the people who underwent balloon sinuplasty said they would recommend this to other patients as well.