For those suffering from chronic sinus issues, the hunt for relief is a long and too often fruitless one. Or it was, at least, until balloon sinuplasty came along.
Balloon sinuplasty is a relatively new procedure that allows many chronic sinus issues to be resolved with a fast, in-office treatment that only requires a couple of days of recovery time.
Sounds great, right? You probably want to know more, so here are the answers to six common questions about the procedure:
1) How did they used to address major sinus issues before this procedure came along?
At one time, in order to get rid of a patient’s sinus condition for good, traditional invasive surgery had to be performed. Both tissue and bone would be removed during this procedure, resulting in a much longer recovery time, possible scarring, and other issues. To make matter worse, the procedure was not always successful.
2) What method do they use now?
These days, the balloon sinus procedure NJ is a common, safe way to address sinus issues. With this procedure, called balloon sinuplasty, a small catheter is used to inflate a tiny balloon in the sinus cavity. This expands the area, providing a much needed fix to the problems that have plagued your quality of life.
3) How is balloon sinuplasty done?
The whole process sounds deceptively simple – and in fact, it is. A small balloon is threaded through a catheter, which is run to the sinus cavity. It is then slowly inflated, which expands the sinus cavity and opens any blockage. There are no incisions, no blood loss, and no damage to bone or tissue. It’s generally done right in your doctor’s office and is wrapped up in just an hour or so.
4) Does this procedure provide a permanent fix?
No two patients are the same, but in most cases the answer is yet. That is because most problems with chronic sinutitus stem from the bone and tissue surrounding the sinus cavity. This tissue can block the cavity. The procedure moves the problematic tissue, thus solving the problem.
5) Are there circumstances in which problems can reoccur?
As we noted, no two patients are alike. While a balloon sinus procedure in New Jersey can help most patients, issues such as the growth of nasal polyps may cause more problems down the road. Thankfully, this happens in only a small percent of cases, and even then those problems are usually addressed easily.
6) Can my normal doctor perform this procedure?
This procedure requires specialized training, so it cannot be performed by any doctor. In fact, many ear, nose and throat doctors cannot perform it, either, because they have no sought out the proper training. That means you’ll be seeing a specialist certified to perform balloon sinuplasty.
Want to learn more? Contact your local New Jersey specialist in balloon sinuplasty for more information.