Q. What is sinusitis?
A. Sinusitis is an inflammation of the lining of the sinuses. If the sinus passages become blocked, the sinuses fill with fluid, becoming infected or inflamed.
Q. How many people are affected by sinusitis?
A. 37 million people in America are affected by sinusitis.
Q. What are the symptoms of sinusitis?
A. Symptoms include:
- Facial pain, pressure, congestion or fullness
- Difficulty breathing through the nose
- Nasal discharge
- Teeth pain
- Loss of sense of smell or taste
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Sore throat or hoarseness
- Bad breath
Q. How is sinusitis treated?
A. There are many options available to treat sinusitis. The first course of treatment is medication, including antibiotics, topical nasal steroid sprays or the use of saline nasal drops.
When relief is not achieved through medical therapy, the next line of treatment may be in-office procedures or outpatient surgery. The goals of these treatments are to clear blocked sinuses and restore normal sinus drainage. Sinus surgical options include Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS), Laser SMR/SMA Surgery and Balloon Sinuplasty, a minimally invasive procedure that may be performed in the office or in an outpatient setting.
Q. Does balloon sinuplasty work?
A. Absolutely. In fact, 96% of patients undergoing the procedure have reported drastic improvement in sinusitis symptoms.
Q. How long does surgery with balloon sinuplasty technology take?
A. The length of the procedure depends on the severity of your diagnosis. Your physician will decide if you are an appropriate candidate for the in-office procedure, which typically lasts 30 minutes, requiring no overnight hospital stay.
If the procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, the procedure takes approximately three hours, including post-operative time. But the duration of the procedure varies with each patient, so ask your physician for the most accurate answer.
Q. Will I need general anesthesia?
A. Most patients undergo the procedure with general anesthesia, but it varies from patient to patient.
Q. How long is recovery?
A. Since it is a minimally invasive procedure, balloon sinuplasty is usually performed in an outpatient setting. Most patients can return to normal activity within 24 hours.
Q. Is balloon sinuplasty covered by insurance?
A. Yes. Your insurance benefits and coverage will be explained to you in detail prior to your surgery.
