Balloon dilation of the paranasal sinuses

In chronic inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, the natural drainage pathway can be narrowed, so that the sinus is no longer well ventilated. In balloon dilation (balloon sinuplasty), a fine, flexible guide catheter is advanced endoscopically through the nose into this narrowed channel. A small balloon at its tip is filled with water for a short time and thereby widened. In this way the drainage pathways of, for example, the maxillary, frontal and sphenoid sinuses can be enlarged.

Procedure

The balloon gently pushes the tissue at the narrowed opening apart and thereby widens the drainage channel. The mucosa is preserved and no tissue needs to be removed. Balloon dilation can be performed as a standalone procedure or complement endoscopic sinus surgery.

After the procedure

After the procedure the nose is rinsed regularly and follow-up appointments are arranged; depending on the findings, cortisone nasal sprays supplement the aftercare. Because the mucosa is largely preserved, recovery is usually quicker than with more extensive operations.

Who is a candidate

Balloon dilation is an option for selected patients with chronic or recurrent sinusitis when a previous course of medication has not been sufficiently effective and the findings have been clarified by endoscopy and computed tomography. Whether the method is suitable in an individual case is decided by the medical team during treatment planning.