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Each year chronic sinusitis affect over 30 million people. This disorder makes them feel miserable because it comes with a combination of facial pressure, headache, fatigue, sneezing, runny nose, drainage of thick colorful mucus from the nose and severe nasal congestion but the worst part is that it is quite difficult to treat and it recurs frequently. However, there are many factors that promote the symptoms that make an individual so vulnerable to recurrence but fortunately, there is an innovative painless sinus surgery called balloon sinuplasty surgery which has hit the medical field. It remains the best course of treatment when drug treatments have failed because it removes a disorder that is undoubtedly a stubborn and all too common problem. It is worth mentioning that this is also a less invasive alternative to a typical endoscopic sinus surgery which is also a common course of treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis that doesn't respond to medication. Generally, the chronic sinusitis may be caused by an infection or by different growths in the sinuses such as nasal polyps but it can also be caused by a deviated septum. However, a balloon sinuplasty surgery is performed in order to relieve nasal congestion, to improve breathing and reduce pain and pressure as well as to correct physical and structural problems of the nose or sinuses. In fact, it is based on the same principle as a balloon angioplasty where a small inflatable device is used to widen a clogged sinus opening. In this case, following general anesthesia, a small uninflected balloon is threaded on a wire and catheter, passed up the nostril and inserted into the sinus cavities. Once safely anchored in this place, this balloon is gently inflated up to 3 to 5 mm, fracturing the surrounding bones and pushing them apart in the process, without damaging the delicate membrane lining. The balloon is then, deflated and removed and as a result, the sinuses are opened which helps drain the retained mucus and relieves the patient of symptoms. The technology used is quite similar with that used by cardiologists to expand blocked arteries, except that the balloon sinuplasty surgery takes about 30 to 50 minutes and it involves a faster recovery period and less postoperative discomfort. A balloon sinuplasty surgery is basically the best alternative to the conventional endoscopic sinus surgery which also aims at widening the sinus opening but by removing the tissue surrounding it. The good thing is that in the first case, the same results are achieved without any incisions or cutting the tissue, without pains and swelling that follow the standard endoscopic sinus surgery. In fact, it seems that this standard surgical intervention is quite challenging and risky, not to mention that the discomfort and nose bleeding are common during the first two weeks after surgery. The recovery also involves packing the nose with gauze in order to absorb the bloody drainage, taking antibiotics, using a nasal spray that contains a steroid for 6 months or longer to reduce the inflammation and also using saltwater washes to keep the nasal passages moist. As you can see, the recovery period is quite overwhelming and unfortunately, the endoscopic sinus surgery does not always eliminates chronic sinusitis and some people even require a second intervention. On the other hand, a balloon sinuplasty surgery has demonstrated good results and the fact that the improved quality of life scores up to two years after undergoing this surgical intervention which seems to be the most appealing result so far. However, this is a very significant technology that is being used in the management of the sinuses disorders so in the future, it will probably be the first choice for patients with these conditions. For more resources about balloon sinuplasty surgery or about endoscopic sinus surgery, please review this link http://sinussurgerylosangeles.com.
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balloon sinuplasty surgery, endoscopic sinus surgery,
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