Does balloon Sinuplasty replace traditional sinus surgery?

I am often asked if Balloon Sinuplasty has replaced traditional endoscopic sinus surgery. As with most things, the answer is not black or white. The simple answer is Balloon Sinuplasty does replace the need for traditional endoscopic sinus surgery in the majority of chronic sinusitis patients. Traditional endoscopic sinus surgery was developed in the mid-80s. This procedure uses a fiber-optic endoscope to visualize the sinus drainage pathways. Special sinus instruments are then used to remove specific tissues which open the sinus drainage pathways. The procedure has improved significantly since the 80s, but still requires general anesthesia, tissue removal, and about a week of postoperative recovery time. Balloon Sinuplasty was FDA approved in 2005 and has been increasing in popularity since that time. About one third of otolaryngology physicians have adopted and trained to perform balloon Sinuplasty to treat chronic sinus patients. In this procedure, a balloon is placed in the sinus drainage pathway and used to dilate the natural opening. There is no need for general anesthesia, there is no tissue removal, and recovery time is measured in hours instead of days. Studies have shown that in the properly selected patient, the success rate is equal to traditional endoscopic sinus surgery and other studies have shown the benefit to be long lasting. The big question is who are the right patients for balloon Sinuplasty? Patients that benefit from this procedure typically have multiple sinus infections each year, frequent sinus pressure, frequent headaches – usually above and below the eyes, and general nasal congestion. Which patients are better served by traditional endoscopic sinus surgery? These patients typically have severe sinus disease. Two common examples are patients with severe nasal polyps and patients with chronic fungal sinus infections. In my practice, this represents about 10% of my chronic sinusitis patients. These two findings are very easily diagnosed by an experienced otolaryngologist and balloon Sinuplasty would not be recommended. Balloon Sinuplasty is a simple clinic procedure that can be used to treat the majority of patients with chronic sinus complaints at a fraction of the risk associated with traditional sinus surgery. If you feel you may be a candidate for balloon Sinuplasty, be sure to locate an otolaryngologist who is familiar and experienced with all treatment options to treat chronic sinus issues. Zachary Wassmuth, MD