Chronic sinusitis can significantly and negatively affect a person’s life. From sinus headaches, facial pain, and many other symptoms, many sufferers require constant nasal sprays or other medicine to get through each day.

Unfortunately, over 20% of people have symptoms that do not fully respond to conservative treatment options, leaving surgical intervention the last resort. However, recent advancements in medical technology and techniques give a much less invasive option than the traditional rhinoplasty, or nasal surgery.

Not only is the balloon sinuplasty much less invasive than traditional sinus surgery, but it also requires minimal recovery time, with most patients returning to full-activity within just a few days. The results are almost immediate, and in a recent study, over 95% of patients reported continued improvement in their sinus symptoms up to two years after their procedures.

Patients are given either local or general anesthesia during an in-office procedure that takes around an hour. Once the patient is anesthetized, a small balloon catheter is inserted into the sinus cavity. The doctor then carefully inflates the balloon, gently widening the sinus cavity. This allows ample room for the doctor to spray a saline solution to flush and drain out the sinus cavity.

Patients can go home after a few hours of observation in the office and may have some residual grogginess and nasal congestion for up to a week. However, nearly all patients report great results soon after that, with many reporting significant improvements over several years. Since there is no cutting and removal of tissue or bone, like in traditional sinus surgery, there is no risk of major bleeding or similar complications