Balloon Sinuplasty

What is balloon sinuplasty?

Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive treatment for sinusitis, also called chronic sinusitis. During the procedure, a healthcare provider gently inserts and then inflates a tiny balloon in your sinus cavity. As it gets bigger, it enlarges your sinuses, making it easier to drain any mucus that’s built up.

Some people who have chronic sinus symptoms may be treated with balloon sinuplasty instead of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).

What conditions are treated with balloon sinuplasty?

Millions of people have chronic sinusitis. It can cause pesky, persistent symptoms like a runny nose and nasal congestion. Medical treatments, including antibiotics, can ease most people’s symptoms. But if your symptoms last more than 12 weeks, your healthcare provider might recommend balloon sinuplasty or endoscopic sinus surgery. Both procedures treat sinusitis without requiring cuts in or around your nose.

Healthcare providers have used balloon sinuplasty since 2005. The treatment has become increasingly popular, as providers can perform the procedure at medical offices as well as in hospitals.

What happens before this procedure?

Before you have balloon sinuplasty, your healthcare provider will use computed tomography (CT) scans to confirm balloon sinuplasty is an appropriate treatment for your condition.

What happens during this procedure?

You can get balloon sinuplasty in a hospital operating room or a medical office. Beforehand, you’ll receive general anesthesia or be under conscious sedation. Conscious sedation blocks pain but allows you to stay awake during the procedure.

If you’re in an operating room, you’ll lie on an operating table. Your healthcare provider will:

1. Put a topical decongestant in your nose to control any bleeding you might have during the procedure.
2. Inject a local anesthetic into some of the tissue that lines your nose.
3. Use a thin tube with a light on the end called an endoscope to insert a catheter into your nostril.
4. Use the catheter to guide a small balloon into your sinuses.
5. Inflate the balloon slowly to gently unblock your sinuses.
6. Deflate the balloon and remove it (repeating the process if needed).

If you’re in a medical office, you’ll sit in a reclining exam chair. Your provider will:

1. Apply a topical decongestant in your nose.
2. Apply an anesthetic spray before applying additional anesthetic to thick cotton pads. They’ll put the pads in your nose. The membranes inside your nose will quickly absorb the anesthetic.
3. Remove the pads and inject a local anesthetic into some of the tissue that lines your nose.
4. Use a thin tube with a light on the end called an endoscope to insert a catheter into your nose.
5. Use the catheter to guide a small balloon into your sinuses.
6. Inflate the balloon to unblock your sinuses.
7. Deflate and remove the balloon (repeating the process if necessary).

Is balloon sinuplasty painful?

No, balloon sinuplasty usually isn’t painful. Most people who have balloon sinuplasty report feeling a sense of pressure in their nose during the procedure.

You may notice some discomfort in your nose after the procedure. Over-the-counter pain relievers may help you feel better. Your healthcare provider will explain which medications to use and avoid after balloon sinuplasty.

What happens after balloon sinuplasty?

You’ll stay at the hospital or medical office until you feel comfortable leaving. Most healthcare providers recommend you ask someone to drive you to and from your appointment. Your provider might recommend a schedule of follow-up appointments and tests that looks like this:

• One week after the procedure: Follow-up appointment and nasal endoscopy
• Three months after the procedure: Follow-up appointment that includes nasal endoscopy
• One year after the procedure: Follow-up appointment including nasal endoscopy and general assessment of your nose health

What are the benefits of balloon sinuplasty?

Balloon sinuplasty is a safe and minimally invasive way to treat chronic sinusitis. Studies show that the results are long-lasting. Compared to sinus surgery, balloon sinuplasty may lead to a faster recovery with less pain after the procedure.

What are the risks or complications of this procedure?

Few people who have balloon sinuplasty report complications. Still, as with any procedure, they can occur. Complications after balloon sinuplasty may include:

• Cerebrospinal fluid leaks (your sinuses are close to your brain, which is surrounded by this fluid)
• Damage to the area around your eye
• Reaction to the anesthesia
• Bleeding
• Infection

Your symptoms might come back. If they do, you may need another balloon sinuplasty or a different treatment, like endoscopic sinus surgery.

What is the recovery time?

You might need to rest at home for 24 to 48 hours after your balloon sinuplasty. Your healthcare provider might recommend the following steps to help you recover:

• Avoid blowing your nose for 24 to 48 hours.
• Rinse your nostril with nasal spray.
• If you feel congested, sleep with your head elevated.
• Avoid strenuous activity for the first week after your surgery.

Within the next week or two, most people are on track toward a full recovery and able to resume their routines.

When should I call my healthcare provider?

Most people who have balloon sinuplasty notice some bloody drainage from their noses. That’s completely normal. Call your healthcare provider if your nose bleeds a lot and you can’t control the bleeding.

Ask your provider about other symptoms to look out for that may be a sign of a complication.