Minimally Invasive Options for In-Office Sinus Surgery
Sinusitis is one of the most common chronic healthcare problems in the U.S., afflicting about 37 million Americans annually. The condition significantly impacts patients physically, functionally, and emotionally. It also takes a toll on quality of life.
Chronic sinusitis can be treated using antibiotics, steroids, nasal saline and treatment of underlying conditions such as allergies.
However, for over 20% of patients, medical therapy does not provide adequate symptom relief, and sinus surgery is often the next step in the treatment process.
Typically, this type of surgery is performed in the operating room under general anesthesia, but now, patients have the option of a minimally invasive treatment in our offices.
At Raleigh Capitol ENT, we constantly strive to provide comprehensive services for our patients with sinonasal disorders and are pleased to offer several procedures that can be performed in the office under local anesthesia. These include balloon sinuplasty for chronic sinusitis, turbinate reduction for nasal congestion, and nasal polypectomy.
Performing these procedures in the office provides many benefits including:
- Minimally invasive
- Less bleeding
- Fast recovery time
- No tissue removal
- No need for general anesthesia
- More economical than having the procedure at a hospital or outpatient facility
We’ll take a look at some of these procedures, what they are, how they’re performed and how they can help you.
Balloon Sinuplasty
This FDA-approved, minimally invasive procedure treats chronic and recurrent acute sinusitis, providing help for those who have not found relief through medical therapy or allergy treatment.
The technology has been in use since 2005, and we were the first ear, nose and throat practice in Raleigh to offer and perform this treatment in the office.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A BALLOON SINUPLASTY?
When you have a balloon sinuplasty, you’re anesthetized with topical and local anesthetics (similar to the way it is done during a dental procedure).
Then the sinuses are visualized with an endoscope and camera. An endoscope is a long, thin, flexible tube.
Then, a lighted guidewire is positioned gently into the sinus to be dilated. A small balloon is then threaded over the wire, inflated for 5 to 10 seconds, and the sinus is dilated. The balloon is then deflated and removed.
The next sinus is then treated in the same fashion.
If necessary, the sinuses can be irrigated with saline during the procedure.
The procedure is highly successful. Studies have shown:
- After one year, 90 percent sinus of patients still have “open” sinuses after the procedure
- There are no serious adverse events at 2 years after the procedure
- Two years after the procedure, 85 percent of patients still showed symptom improvement
Want more information on balloon sinuplasty? Take a look at some of these earlier blog articles that will provide the education you need to help determine if this is a procedure that is right for you:
Which Patients Benefit the Most from Balloon Sinuplasty?
Is a Balloon Sinuplasty Right for You?
Turbinate Reduction
In addition to balloon sinuplasty, we are also offering turbinate reduction in the office for patients with nasal congestion and sinus issues due to turbinate hypertrophy. Turbinate hypertrophy means the turbinates are enlarged, which often causes difficulty breathing and sinus problems.
WHAT ARE TURBINATES?
These are small structures in your nose that cleanse the air that you breathe. In some cases, these turbinates may become enlarged or inflamed, causing difficulty breathing. We can easily treat enlarged turbinates in our office.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING TURBINATE REDUCTION?
During this in-office procedure, you’re anesthetized with topical and local anesthesia, which means you won’t have to be “asleep” during it. We use radio frequency energy to coblate the turbinates. This removes the problem tissue, and when the area heals, the turbinates have returned to normal size.
The convenience of having this done as an in-office procedure means that you’re able to resume your everyday activities faster than you would if you had an inpatient procedure.
Nasal Polyp Removal
For our patients who have recurring nasal polyps causing nasal obstruction, we are offering nasal polypectomy (polyp removal) in the office under local anesthesia.
WHAT ARE NASAL POLYPS?
These are benign, grape-shaped growths that appear on the lining of your nasal passages. Usually, they are the result of inflammation, and they can cause recurrent infection, make it difficult for you to breathe, and even block sinus passages.
Sometimes, medication alone can help shrink nasal polyps. But when this is not successful, surgery is necessary.
Fortunately, there is a new, FDA-approved treatment for nasal polyps. Dupilumab is medication that is administered by injection, and it can significantly reduce the size of the nasal polyps. In addition, those who used dupilumab stated that they regained their ability to smell or their ability to smell improved.
Those who used dupilumab also did not need as many oral steroids.
Want to know more about nasal polyps and how we can help you? Check out this additional article on nasal polyps:
Raleigh Capitol Ear, Nose, and Throat Has the Best Options for In-Office Surgery
Of course, these aren’t the only procedures we offer in-office. We also offer biopsies, cyst removal and myringotomy (ear tube placement).
At Raleigh Capitol ENT, our board-certified sinus surgeons constantly strive to provide comprehensive services for our patients with sinonasal disorders. We are pleased to offer many of these in the office under local anesthesia.
Want to learn more? Contact us today to schedule an appointment to discover how we can help you.
