Maryland State Wire

• Almost 29 million people in the U.S. suffer from chronic sinusitis.

• Balloon sinuplasty is less invasive, carries and a lower risk and has a shorter recovery period than traditional sinus surgery.

• Average recovery time for a balloon sinuplasty patient is one to two days.

Dr. Jamie Oberman of Frederick Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers said balloon sinuplasty is a quick and minimally invasive procedure, especially compared with older methods of addressing sinus problems.

Chronic sinusitis impacts 28.9 million American adults, or 11% of the adult population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Chronic sinusitis is responsible for 4.1 million doctor visits and more than 230,000 emergency room visits each year.

"(Balloon sinuplasty) addresses the anatomy in a minimally invasive, comfortable way for the patient, without having to undergo general anesthesia, which was the conventional approach typical before the innovation with the balloons," Oberman told Maryland State Wire. "Under topical and local anesthesia, you can find the normal anatomic opening and widen it, essentially. A narrowed anatomic opening is what's called a hypoventilated, under-ventilated, unhealthy sinus, so that contributes to chronic symptomatology and recurrent infections. If you can open that anatomy with the balloon, it's much safer for the patient, as well as more cost effective and efficient."

Chronic sinusitis is one of the most typical chronic medical conditions among Americans, and it can have a harmful impact on a person's quality of life, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The NCBI carried out research comparing patients who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) with patients who opted for a balloon sinuplasty to treat chronic sinusitis.

The organization found that, although both procedures are effective, balloon sinuplasty patients needed fewer antibiotic treatment after their procedures. FESS involves removing sinus tissue, while balloon sinuplasty is "less traumatic" because it doesn't include removing any tissue, and instead relies on dilation to improve sinus function.

A balloon sinuplasty procedure takes 10 to 15 minutes, and patients usually recover inside of one to two days. Most patients can do their normal activities in that time period, although they may experience some swelling for up to a week. FESS procedures take one and a half to two hours, and patients might need up to four weeks to fully recover, during which time they should avoid strenuous activities such as exercising. 

If you're interested in learning more about diagnosis or treatment for chronic sinusitis, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.