Balloon Sinuplasty EXPERT IN PERUMBAKAM
Your Trusted Partner in Balloon Sinuplasty
More than 30 million people have chronic rhinosinusitis or CRS. Most people can be helped with medical treatment including antibiotics. We are here to provide you with top-notch care and guidance to tackle your problems.
Understanding Balloon Sinuplasty
Who is a candidate for Balloon Sinuplasty?
Not everyone is a candidate. Good candidates for balloon sinuplasty include people who:
- Do not have nasal polyps or tumors
- Have a mild form of sinusitis
- Can tolerate the procedure under local anesthesia (the area is numb, but the patient remains awake throughout the procedure)
- Have an affected area in specific sinuses, including those in the cheeks (maxillary sinuses), forehead (frontal sinuses) or back of the nose (sphenoid sinuses)
The procedure is generally performed on adults. Children who have not responded to other treatments for sinusitis may be candidates for balloon sinuplasty, but only in limited scenarios.
If balloon sinuplasty is not the correct procedure for you, you may be a candidate for endoscopic sinus surgery, a minimally invasive outpatient surgical procedure also used to treat sinusitis. You and your doctor will discuss what is the right treatment.
What is the procedure of Balloon Sinuplasty?
The Balloon sinuplasty in India is done in the following five steps.
- During the balloon sinuplasty procedure, a guidewire capable of emitting light is passed through the sinus ostium opening into the sinus. Once the guidewire is correctly positioned in the sinus, the illuminated sinus can be visualised from outside.
- Once the position of the guidewire is confirmed, the balloon catheter is passed over the guidewire a little beyond the sinus opening. A marking on the balloon catheter indicates correct positioning
- The balloon catheter is injected with saline, and the Balloon starts getting inflated. The Balloon is inflated until the pressure inside it reaches 10 -12 atmospheres. It is held in position for 10 – 15 seconds.
- The Balloon is then deflated and withdrawn along with the guidewire. In the case of sinuses like the frontal sinuses, which have longer openings, Multiple balloon inflation/ dilations are done at different levels to ensure the entire sinus opening is widely enlarged.
- Through the widened ostium, multiple saline washes can be given to remove pus and debris from it.
Is Balloon Sinuplasty safe?
Balloon sinuplasty is a very safe procedure. Like any other surgery, it does carry few risks, although very rare. Following are the benefits of Balloon sinuplasty in India over conventional FESS aka. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery –
- There is a reduced risk of scarring and replacement of functional nasal mucosal lining with another tissue.
- There is a reduced risk of unwanted tissue or structural damage
- There is lesser blood loss during Balloon sinuplasty procedure in comparison to conventional sinus surgery
- Patients undergoing Balloon sinuplasty recover faster and have shorter hospital stays as there is no cutting or removal of tissue
- Number of post operative visits and follow-ups are lesser in Balloon sinuplasty patients
- Balloon sinuplasty patients have lesser nasal crust formation after surgery. So, these patients require fewer nasal endoscopic cleaning visits after surgery.
- Balloon sinuplasty patients require lesser pain relief medications and nasal washes after surgery
- They are at lower risk of getting post operative infections
What are the risks of Balloon Sinuplasty?
These are risks associated with balloon sinuplasty procedure, although very rare.
- Blood nasal discharge from the front and back of the nose. This can be significant in the first two days after surgery.
- Pain around the nose, eyes and in the forehead region. This can be controlled well with pain relief medications given usually after surgery.
- Patients can have swelling of eyes, nose temporarily
- Nose block and congestion, especially in patients undergoing Balloon sinuplasty along with nasal septal surgery or turbinate surgery
- Infection of sinuses can occur in patients not performing nasal saline douches as recommended
Very rarely the patients undergoing Balloon sinuplasty can have brain fluid leaking from the nose because of the damage to the thin wall separating the brain from the nose.
Even more rarely, balloon sinuplasty can affect the persons sense of smell and the shape of the nose. The chances of occurrence of both the above complications are 0.01.
Balloon Sinuplasty Recovery
Following balloon sinuplasty, you can expect mild discomfort in the nose and nasal area, which generally can be treated with over-the-counter medication. You may also experience nasal drainage that might be discolored or might contain a little blood. During a few days after the procedure, you will maintain nasal hygiene with saline rinses that may contain medication prescribed by your surgeon. Saline rinses help flush out mucus and debris during the healing process and prevent infection, scarring or buildup of material in your nose.
Unlike sinus procedures that are more invasive, balloon sinuplasty (and endoscopic sinus surgery) does not leave visible scarring or bruising.
What does Balloon Sinuplasty treat?
Balloon sinuplasty is used for the treatment of following nose and sinus conditions.
- Patients having chronic sinusitis, i.e., patients suffering from sinusitis symptoms for more than twelve weeks. These patients get only partial relief with medication or get complete relief when using medicines. Still, symptoms recur once the medication is stopped.
- Patients having repeated attacks of acute sinusitis. Acute sinusitis symptoms do not last for more than one week to ten days. These patients have recurrent episodes of acute sinusitis with severe symptoms such as thick yellowish to greenish discharge from the nose, severe nose block, pain, heaviness and swelling around eyes, cheek and forehead.
- Patients having to get admitted to ICU because of fevers arising from a sinus infection.
- Sinusitis patients having bleeding and clotting disorders such as haemophilia, liver and kidney disease etc. Balloon sinuplasty causes minimal damage to the nasal mucosal lining reducing the chances of bleeding arising from it.
Frequently Asked Question on Balloon Sinuplasty
Balloon sinuplasty is a medical procedure that uses a small, inflatable balloon to widen blocked sinus passages and promote better drainage.
Balloon sinuplasty is recommended for individuals with chronic sinusitis that has not responded well to medications but is not as invasive as traditional sinus surgery.
Some advantages include being a less invasive procedure, typically performed on an outpatient basis, and having a quicker recovery time compared to traditional sinus surgery
Recovery time is generally shorter than traditional sinus surgery. Most patients can return to normal activities within a day or two.
Candidates for balloon sinuplasty are individuals with chronic sinusitis who have not responded well to medications and are looking for a less invasive treatment option.
Lifestyle changes can help manage sinusitis symptoms, but if chronic sinusitis persists, balloon sinuplasty may be a suitable option for those seeking a less invasive intervention.