NE Kentucky News

Balloon sinuplasty is a procedure that ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctors can perform for the treatment of blocked sinuses and the inflammation of the sinus lining, a very common condition.  

The surgery, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2005, is also referred to as "balloon catheter dilation surgery," according to Healthline.

Dr. Daniel Mongiardo of the Dr. Daniel Mongiardo Sleep & Sinus Center explained that the sinuses are air-filled pockets that can often get irritated by allergies or secondhand smoke, which causes a blockage of the opening of the sinuses.

“What we used to do years ago is go in surgically and open those up, and it left a lot of trauma, a lot of swelling,” Mongiardo told NE Kentucky News. “Then we went to endoscopic procedures, where we surgically open the sinuses. And now with the balloon, the balloon goes in, stretches, comes out and it's done. So there's very minimal trauma, and balloon sinuplasty has been a tremendous advancement. That's something we do in the office, seated right in the exam chair."

The procedure is fairly straightforward, and reported complications are minimal. Balloon sinuplasty is often recommended for people with chronic sinusitis, after other treatments for their condition have been ineffective.

While there is no cutting or removal of bone or tissue, the procedure still carries similar risks associated with other types of sinus surgery. Most people return to their regular activities within days after the procedure, and some people are even able to drive themselves home afterward, according to Healthline.

Chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million American adults, or 11.6% of the adult population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  

Mongiardo said he has recently seen great advancements in the surgery due to the LATERA device.

“Think of it as a permanent Breathe Right strip,” he said. “It's inserted into the nose and it lifts up the nose a bit. The research tells us that about 78 to 80% of patients have nasal airway obstruction, even after they have a septoplasty. I have found that by reducing the turbinates, which are vascular structures inside the nose that swell with allergies and secondhand smoke, we can shrink those with radio frequency. It's a minimally invasive procedure that we do along with LATERA. Those two (procedures) have almost eliminated septoplasty in the operating room."

Research has found that before having a balloon procedure, people who have chronic sinusitis have to take quite a few days off from work each year due to illness. After the balloon procedures, that number of sick days is dramatically reduced.

“At least 90% of the septoplasty I don't do anymore, because I can do a minimally invasive procedure in the office, and the patient is very comfortable,” Mongiardo said. “They're back doing what they want to do the next day, instead of having 10 days to two weeks off.”

Dr. Daniel Mongiardo Sleep & Sinus Center has an online sinus quiz for those who want to evaluate their symptoms.