North Baltimore Journal

• Balloon sinuplasty was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005.
• The procedure can help treat chronic sinusitis with long-lasting effects.
• Balloon dilation is minimally invasive, and there's no cutting or removal of bones or tissue.

Balloon sinuplasty, which is also known as balloon catheter dilation surgery, is a procedure that clears blocked sinuses. It's a relatively new procedure, having been approved by the FDA in 2005. It is sometimes referred to as the “smart sinus” procedure.

According to Healthline, balloon sinuplasty is recommended for people with chronic sinusitis, after other treatments for their condition have proven ineffective. There's no cutting, no removal of bones or tissue, and and reported complications are minimal.

Dr. Jamie Oberman of Frederick Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers says a balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that can help with sinusitis and doesn't involve anesthesia. 

"It addresses the anatomy in a minimally invasive, comfortable way for the patient without having to undergo general anesthesia, which was the typical conventional approach before the innovation with the balloons," Oberman told North Baltimore Journal. "Under topical and local anesthesia, you can find the normal anatomic opening and widen it. A narrowed anatomic opening is what's called a hypoventilated, underventilated, unhealthy sinus, so that contributes to chronic symptomatology and recurrent infections. So if you can open that anatomy with the balloon, it's much less morbidity, safer for the patient, as well as more cost-effective and efficient."

A balloon sinuplasty is an in-office procedure that's simple and only takes about an hour, according to Entellus Medical. The preparation takes about thirty minutes and involves anesthetics being applied to the nose for more comfort. A thin instrument with a balloon is then guided through your sinus, the balloon is gently inflated for five seconds with saline, and when your sinuses open, the balloon is removed.

Physical symptoms of chronic sinusitis can include nasal inflammation, a runny nose, postnasal drainage, congestion, pain or swelling in the face, headaches, loss of smell and taste, a sore threat, bad breath or fatigue, according to Mayo Clinic.

For more information about the symptoms of chronic sinusitis and allergies, please take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.