One relatively new procedure offered to chronic sinus sufferers is called balloon sinuplasty.
In the balloon procedure, a tiny balloon is gently inserted into a patient’s sinus and slowly inflated, which opens the blocked passage and is then slowly deflated, clearing the vital airway and providing relief to the patient’s prolonged misery.
“I have a profound depth of experience with balloons sinus procedures,” Dr. Richard Strabbing of Michigan ENT & Allergy Specialists said. “I did my first balloon case in 2007. I have taught many other doctors how to do this procedure. In 2010, I was involved in a nationwide study that looked at moving the procedure from the operating room to the office.”
Opening blocked sinuses — and freeing patients of the misery caused by those blockages — once required inpatient surgery, which was painful and came with long recovery times. Strabbing says those days are over.
“Balloon sinuplasty and other minimally invasive sinus procedures done in the office give my patients great options,” he said. “Quick recovery, super results and life-changing benefits for patients are often seen. It has been exciting to be an ENT over the last few years and be able to offer my patients great solutions with minimal downtime.”
Patients feel very little pain during the balloon procedure, according to a study published in the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy.
Average recovery times are only 1.4 days, compared to 4.2 days for traditional sinus surgery, according to the medical journal The Laryngoscope.
According to the American Journal of Rhinology, 91% of patients who’ve had a balloon procedure would do it all over again, compared to only 49% of patients who had functional endoscopic sinus surgery.
If you think you might benefit by seeing a doctor about your sinus infections or allergies, take this online quiz.