Sinuplasty (procedure)

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Balloon Sinuplasty™ is the name of a propietary device system to be used in the treatment of sinusitis. It is an extension of the idea of balloon dilation of the sinuses which enlarges blocked sinus passageways using a flexible balloon catheter that is inflated at the blockage site and then removed, thus allowing normal mucociliary flow. This is a less invasive technique than the conventional method, functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), that cuts away sinus tissue. It is thought that the use of balloon sinuplasty will result in less scarring, reducing the more unpredictable and longer healing of FESS. Long term results are not yet available. Balloon Sinuplasty has been heavily promoted in the lay press and some experts are concerned that this will generate unrealistic expectations by potential patients, as was reported in the NY Times on May 8, 2006. Also, some leading physicians are concerned that it is not well suited for the forms of chronic rhinosinusitis that currently benefit from more extensive surgery.

Although Balloon dilation of the sinuses has been previously described, this newer form called Balloon Sinuplasty, which reconfigures bone adjacent to the sinus ostium, was invented in 2005 to ease sinusitis by Acclarent, Inc. of Menlo Park, California. The difference is the newer balloon which forces tissue to conform to its shape instead of vice versa. Unfortunately, the device used is fairly expensive. According to ABC World News it is a similar operation to those done for clogged arteries where, under general anesthesia, a balloon is inserted into the sinus through the nose. It then inflates and widens the passage by creating tiny fractures in the bones around the sinus opening or ostium. It does this without the same tissue swelling seen with other forms of surgery. The procedure is outpatient and people can return to work/school the next day. This operation is reported by patients to help alleviate certain forms of sinusitis but long term follow up information is not yet published. Balloon sinuplasty has been typically described as a technique to be used on its own or in conjunction with other endoscopic sinus surgery techniques and does not replace the more commonly perfomed surgery but may help supplement it.

Contrary to what some potential patients may be led to believe by proponents of the procedure, Balloon Sinoplasty is still an invasive procedure. While it requires less healing time than traditional sinus surgery, incisions must still be made by much the same method that is normally required. The first half of the surgery is, in fact, nearly identical to the traditional method.