Balloon sinuplasty – Alabama Nasal & Sinus Center
Balloon sinuplasty
I revisit balloon sinuplasty today because we are still getting a lot of questions about this technology and the role it plays in treatment of sino-nasal disease.
Studies show safety and efficacy of the balloon in opening sinuses. However, does a tool that is safe and effective mean it is necessary. More to the point, does this tool change the indications for surgery on the sinuses? Furthermore, is it the right tool for your case? The role of balloon catheter dilation for treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis was recently reviewed in an article in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. The conclusion of the authors was that current evidence supporting the role of balloon sinuplasty for treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis is incomplete. Interestingly, the review of several studies found that sinus surgery cases done in the operating room have better quality of life outcomes and longer duration of effect than in-office sinus procedures. This seems to make some sense in that the surgeon can be more aggressive in the operating room, with the patient under general anesthesia, than she/he can in the office setting with only topical anesthetic. In addition, the in-office cases are likely patients with lower disease burden than those taken to the operating room and thus the magnitude of improvement is less. There are certainly many reasons for these findings, but at least it should be a word of caution for the patient and/or surgeon hoping to cure chronic sinus disease with a simple catheter passed into the sinus while the patient is awake in the office, ready to go back to work that afternoon.
So, the answer to the question, “will the balloon help me with my complaint?” depends on determining the underlying cause of your primary symptoms. If your nasal obstruction is due to swelling of the tissues due to a chronically obstructed sinus that is always inflamed, then the balloon may be a great tool for opening your blocked sinus. However, if the reason you cannot breathe through your nose is that you have a deviated septum, the balloon will not help you at all. You will benefit from a septoplasty, which is an operation whereby we straighten the dividing wall between the two sides of your nose to allow you to breathe better. The balloon sinuplasty is exciting technology, which can be very helpful in select cases. A thorough discussion and physical examination with a physician/surgeon whom you trust is imperative to making the right decision.
God bless you.
Alabama Nasal & Sinus Center
I am a general otolaryngologist who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the ears, nose, and throat. Though I treat patients in all areas of otolaryngology, of all ages, I have special interests in rhinology, otolaryngic allergy, pediatric otolaryngology, and head and neck cancer.
I was born in Dothan, Alabama and spent my first two years in Troy, where my parents were completing school. Most of my early childhood and adolescence was spent in Pace, Florida, just East of Pensacola. I left home after graduating from Pace High School to attend the University of Florida. While there, I became very involved in various student leadership activities and even found time to play football for the Gators under Coach Spurrier. I loved college so much, I got two degrees and spent another two years in Gainesville while my new bride finished her degree in health science education. I am proudly married to the charming and beautiful Simone, mother of our three wonderful children.
I was pleased to get back to the Gulf Coast for a while when the University of South Alabama accepted me into their medical school. Those four years were some of the most intense and most fondly remembered years of my life. I started my training in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at the University of Alabama Birmingham in 2001. I completed residency training in 2006 and began working in private practice in Valdosta, Georgia. It was while training at UAB that I met Dr. Michael Sillers. It is my great privilege to call Dr. Sillers my mentor and friend. We have known each other for over a decade now, and I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to join Dr. Sillers and the Alabama Nasal and Sinus Center in providing the best in otolaryngology care to the people of Birmingham and surrounding areas.