Ear, nose, and throat specialist: 'Most people will benefit' from balloon sinuplasty, the 'smart sinus surgery'

• Balloon Sinuplasty is a straightforward procedure with minimal complications.
• 91% of patients said they would have the procedure again.
• 85% of patients reported improvement two years after the procedure.

Since its inception, balloon sinuplasty has revolutionized the treatment of chronic sinus inflammation, allowing doctors to treat sinusitis in a minimally invasive and effective manner, and with great improvements in recovery time when compared to traditional approaches, according to Dr. Matthew Blair of the Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus and Allergy Center.

“The recovery is very, very favorable for the patient compared to traditional sinus surgery," said Dr. Blair. "Most people will benefit from it to the point where they won't need a second procedure. Now there's always traditional sinus surgery if you fail something minimally invasive. That's why it's called Smart sinus surgery because it's very tailored to a specific sinus or all the sinuses that you need, but a specific sinus in a specific problem.” 

Approved by the FDA in 1005, Balloon Sinusplaties are now considered the gold standard for sinus sufferers and called the “smart surgery” due to their minimally invasive technique, short recovery time, and a number of other benefits, including:

Unlike other sinus relief procedures, a Balloon Sinuplasty is fairly straightforward with minimal complications typically recommended to patients with chronic sinusitis after all other treatments for their condition have been ineffective, according to Healthline. Thanks to the procedure's lack of invasiveness, they are oftentimes less expensive in the office when compared to the procedure done in a hospital setting and are covered by most insurances.

In addition to overall easiness and cost efficiency, Balloon Sinusplasties are often less painful, with an average pain score in one study of 2.8 and patients needing only 1.4 days of recovery, compared to 4.2 days for patients with traditional surgical interventions. Studies also found that 91% of patients said they would have a balloon procedure again, while less than fifty percent of Functional Endoscopic Sinus surgery patients said they would have the procedure again, with one study by the Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation concluding that 85% of patients still reported improvements with their sinus symptoms after two years. 

To learn more about the balloon sinuplasty procedure begin by taking a sinus assessment here.