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Balloon sinuplasty is an FDA-approved, minimally invasive surgical procedure that reverses the symptoms of chronic and acute sinusitis. Often caused by the inflammation of the sinuses, the procedure does not cut into the skin. Instead, blocked sinus passages are directly cleared to relieve patients from the discomfort associated with chronic sinusitis.

Houston Sinus Surgery is dedicated to helping patients breathe deeply and live free from sinusitis. Our board-certified ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeons, Dr. Cecil Yeung and Dr. Daniela Burchhardt have come to the aid of thousands of patients in need of sinus relief. If you are experiencing sinus problems that include pressure, pain, and headaches, schedule an appointment today!

Candidates for Balloon Sinuplasty

Although this procedure isn’t right for everyone, it can help many people with sinus problems. This procedure can be used alone or in conjunction with another type of treatment when needed.
The following may make you a good candidate for balloon sinuplasty:

  • You’ve had chronic or recurring sinus infections that haven’t responded well to medication.
  • You’ve struggled with symptoms such as nasal congestion, coughing, headaches, sinus discharge, sore throat, and bad breath.
  • Your sinusitis isn’t due to an underlying structural issue such as a deviated septum or nasal polyps. If it is, the anatomical problem should be corrected with another procedure.
  • You have experienced over four cases of sinusitis in a single year.

Insurance & Financing

At Houston Sinus Surgery, balloon sinuplasty is covered by in-network insurance carriers, including:

  • AETNA
  • Cigna
  • United
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Anthem
  • UMR
  • Meritain Health
  • Medicare

If your provider is not listed, please contact our office to see if the procedure is eligible for coverage.

Things You Should Know About Balloon Sinuplasty

Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that’s used to treat chronic or recurrent sinusitis. This is the swelling or inflammation of three specific sinuses; namely the frontal, maxillary, and sphenoid sinuses.

Picture of three types of sinuses

The balloon is only one of many sinus surgery instruments, and it is not used for any ethmoid sinus diseases. Unfortunately, the ethmoid sinus has numerous cells, and they are prone to inflammatory diseases. Patients with an ethmoid disease are simply not fit for a balloon sinuplasty. Many offices have advertised balloon sinuplasty as a fix-all procedure, and the results have been disappointing. We take a balanced approach and identify when a balloon sinuplasty is suitable.

We also redo many balloon sinuplasty cases done by other surgeons when the procedure did not work. The key is to understand, through accurate diagnosis of your condition, whether or not you will be cured with the balloon sinuplasty.

Benefits

Balloon sinuplasty procedure in Houston offers a number of advantages:

  • The procedure is minimally invasive and can be performed at our in-house surgery center
  • Has been approved by the FDA as an effective treatment
  • No incisions are made during surgery
  • The procedure can be easily combined with other surgeries and treatments
  • Quickly clears stubborn symptoms that are not reactive to sinus medications
  • A short recovery time

The Balloon Sinuplasty Procedure

Balloon sinuplasty is performed as an outpatient procedure at our state-of-the-art Houston surgery center. This ensures each patient receives maximum comfort, convenience, and privacy. Depending on your needs, we recommend either general or local anesthesia for your procedure.

A small catheter in the shape of a balloon is inserted into the nose to treat the sinus cavities. Once secured, the balloon is slowly inflated to expand the opening to the sinus passages. This enables your ENT doctors to restructure the passage to enable easy sinus drainage. Expert care is used to ensure that the lining remains untouched and protected.

Our doctors will spray a solution of saline into the cavity to remove mucus and pus build-up. The balloon is deflated and extracted, allowing the sinus to open and properly drain excess liquid.

On average, the balloon sinuplasty can take 1 – 2 hours to perform.

Recovery and Side Effects

It will take roughly one week to recover from a balloon sinuplasty. You can review a simple timeline for recovery below:

  • Avoid blowing on your nose for the first 24 hours
  • You may return to work and normal activities such as driving and chores after 2 days
  • Discharge, swelling, and congestion are normal. These issues will clear up after one week
  • You can resume exercise and strenuous activities after one week

Finding the Best Balloon Sinuplasty Surgeon

Houston Sinus Surgery is dedicated to helping our patients breathe well and live free from sinusitis symptoms. Dr. Cecil Yeung and Dr. Daniela Burchhardt have more than 20 years of combined experience in accurately diagnosing the underlying causes of chronic sinusitis and providing the best treatment available.

Our doctors are highly regarded for their accurate diagnosis, meticulous surgical techniques, technical precision, and high success rate. If you are currently suffering through a number of symptoms of chronic sinusitis, schedule an appointment today!

Balloon Sinuplasty Q & A

  1. How long does congestion last after Balloon Sinuplasty?
    Congestion, discharge, and swelling, among other symptoms, are expected after surgery and will clear within a week.
  2. Can Balloon Sinuplasty fix a deviated septum?
    While the procedure can clear up the sinus passages, it cannot correct a deviated septum. We recommend discussing your concerns and goals during your initial consultation.
  3. Will Balloon Sinuplasty stop snoring?
    The procedure can help reduce, and possibly eliminate snoring during sleep. A balloon sinuplasty clears many of the obstructions that cause patients to snore.

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