Everything you've ever wanted to know about balloon sinuplasty

Balloon sinuplasty is a safe and effective way to treat chronic sinus conditions, and patients have reported minimal concerns after having the procedure.  

Dr. Manish Khanna of Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers recommends balloon sinuplasty as a procedure that often succeeds in relieving the symptoms of even chronic sinusitis sufferers.

"Balloon sinuplasty is really a workhorse procedure for us to help patients who failed (other) medical management," Khanna said. "Who have had continued issues with sinus infections, sinus headache, sinus pressure, excessive postnasal drainage. We also have inferior turbinate reduction, which we do as well to help with patient’s breathing. It also helps decrease the amount of mucus production as well, and that can also help us with snoring. We reduce septal swell bodies as well. These are all procedures that are done in an office setting that can help patients who have chronic sinus issues.”

According to Healthline, balloon sinuplasty is a relatively new tool that sinus inflammation specialists have in their repertoire, which involves a minimally invasive technique of putting a tiny balloon into your nose and inflating it, which opens up your sinus cavities, making it easier to breathe.

Patients who have a balloon sinuplasty usually recover in less than two days, as opposed to over four days for those who have more traditional surgical interventions, according to the medical journal The Laryngoscope.

The Cleveland Clinic says people who have balloon sinuplasty don't have to worry about bruising or nose packing with gauze. However, after you've had the procedure, you should not blow your nose but rather rinse it out with saline. Patients who feel congestion should sleep with their head elevated and avoid physical activity for several days.  

A study by the Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation concluded that 85% of patients found that their sinus symptoms had improved, even two years after the procedure was done.  

Assess your own sinus symptoms by taking this online Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.

Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers is committed to providing the best sinus and allergy relief in the entire DC Metro Area, using the most advanced, proven patient-friendly techniques available. With 29 million Americans suffering from sinusitis and 242,000 annual chronic sinusitis ER visits, our mission is to provide minimally invasive options for needed, long-lasting relief so that patients can get back to living. We call this mission Breathe Free and Live Well, and it is the North Star that guides us in each unique, collaborative patient interaction. To learn more about Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers, please visit our website.