Monday, June 13, 2011

Sinus Surgery Called Ballooon Sinuplasty

Here is an interesting read taken from an article written by Dr. Nancy Butler. The article is reproduced below for easy reading:

[Question: I have been getting several sinus infections a year for about the past five years, and each one seems to last forever! Is there something that can be done about this?

Answer: Sinus infection (sinusitis) is one of the most common chronic health problems in the United States, affecting millions of people each year.

It causes headaches, congestion, fatigue and other symptoms that impact a person's physical, functional and emotional quality of life.

In the past, sinusitis patients were limited to two treatment options — medical therapy, such as antibiotics or topical nasal steroids, or conventional sinus surgery that required bone and tissue removal to open up a blocked sinus passageway.

Today, a safe, minimally invasive surgery is available to sinus sufferers — balloon sinus surgery.

The in-office surgery involves a small, flexible balloon catheter that is threaded through the nostril into the area of blockage. As the balloon is inflated, it gently opens the sinus passageway, restoring normal sinus drainage and function.

Many patients who have undergone this surgery experienced less bleeding and reduced post-procedure discomfort.

This is an excellent procedure for those unable to take time off from work, or those patients who are not good candidates for general anesthesia but need relief from recurrent sinus infections.

Dr. Nancy Butler is an otolaryngologist at Holy Family Memorial's Lakeshore Ear, Nose and Throat in Manitowoc.