Balloon Sinuplasty at Advanced Specialty Care in Connecticut
Sinus pain and pressure, especially recurring or persisting sinus pain and pressure can become debilitating.
Millions of Americans suffer from sinusitis – an inflammation or swelling of the tissue lining the sinuses. This swelling can prevent your sinuses from draining. Mucus and fluid buildup inside the sinuses can lead to sinus infections and more inflammation and pain.
Sinusitis symptoms include:
- Facial Congestions/fullness
- Nasal blockage
- Nasal discharge
- Fever
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Dental pain
- Bad breath
For many years, patients suffering from recurring or persisting sinusitis were left with two choices:
- Manage their symptoms with ongoing rounds of medical therapy. Some patients are dissatisfied with the frequent rounds or antibiotics, steroids and decongestants, or have difficulty tolerating the side effects of medical therapy.
- Undergo endoscopic sinus surgery to expand the sinus drainage pathways by having tissue and bone removed with small cutting instruments. Recovery can often take 7-10 days.
Treatment for Sinusitis, Sinus Pain and Sinus Pressure
Balloon sinus dilation offers an effective alternative for appropriate sinusitis patients who are tired of ongoing medical therapy and cannot or do not want to undergo surgery, but want lasting relief with a quick recovery.
- Gently opens blocked sinuses: Balloon sinus dilation uses a small balloon to gently open and reshape your sinus drainage pathways to restore normal sinus drainage.
- Instant relief that lasts: Balloon sinus dilation keeps sinus passages open, offering long-term relief from the problems associated with sinusitis. Multiple studies show patients experienced less facial pain, improved sleep, less use of antibiotics, fewer visits to their doctor, and were able to perform day to say activities at home and work.
- Convenient, comfortable office procedure: Balloon sinus dilations can be performed in our office. A typical procedure lasts less than 45 minutes.
- Quick recovery and cost effective: Many patients resume normal activities the same day.
How Balloon Sinus Dilation Works
After local anesthesia to numb your sinus tissue, your physician will insert and gently inflate the balloon to dilate the treatment area. The balloon dilation expands the sinus pathways to restore drainage. After five seconds, the balloon is deflated and removed.
Turbinate Reduction
What are the Turbinates and what do the Turbinates do?
The turbinates are three pairs of curled bones that protrude into the nasal passages. They are located on both sides of the nasal cavity and are separated by the nasal septum. The lower or Inferior turbinates are the largest ones and they are covered by respiratory epithelium with a thick layer of vascular tissue underneath.
The inferior turbinates act as baffles to air flow, swelling and constricting to regulate and filter airflow between both nostrils. Some people have natively large turbinate bones which restrict airflow. In others suffering with nasal allergy or irritability the lining tissue can enlarge further restricting air flow. Enlarged turbinates can also cause sinus pain by pressing on neighboring structures.
What is Turbinate Reduction and how does it help improve nasal breathing?
Turbinate Reduction, or Turbinectomy/Turbinoplasty, can improve your nasal breathing. By carefully removing some of the bone and/or thickened tissue underneath the surface mucosa the nasal breathing passage can be enlarged and patients breathe more freely.
Recent advancements have made this procedure available in our surgeon’s office under local anesthesia. All of the work is done through the nostrils painlessly without any external incisions. Recovery is relatively prompt with fairly predictable results.
Patients receive an oral anti-anxiety medicine prior to arriving at the office for comfort. Medicines are sprayed in the nose and applied topically to fully anesthetize the nasal cavity. Incisions are made through the surface mucosa of the inferior turbinates and a portion of the submucosal bone and soft tissue are removed. Bleeding is controlled with cautery and occasionally light packing is placed for a brief period.
There is often mild congestion, crusting and bloody discharge for a few days following the procedure and it may take a couple of weeks to fully realize the benefits.
Consult with an ENT physician specialist at Advanced Specialty Care to see if your condition is suitable for this procedure. There are times when this procedure can be combined with others like nasal septoplasty and Balloon Sinuplasty in the office to treat sinus conditions as well.