Anderson Reporter

As chronic sinusitis becomes increasingly common in the U.S., so do methods to cope with it, and balloon sinuplasty has become the most commonly recommended by both doctors and patients.

Balloon sinuplasty, consisting of small, inflated balloon catheters used to drain large nasal sinuses, is said to be minimally invasive and produce effective results, according to Medical News Today.

The condition currently affects approximately 28.9 million Americans, equating to 11% of adult population, and is responsible for 4.1 million doctor visits and more than 230,000 emergency room visits each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Dr. Anthony Sanders | Indianapolis Sinus Center

Indianapolis Sinus Center's Dr. Anthony Sanders recommends balloon sinuplasty because it generally causes less nasal functioning damage than surgeries.

“In the past, when people would seek medical treatment, they were then subjected to a much more invasive procedure, requiring a trip to the hospital or surgery center, a lengthy operation, which sometimes would impact normal nasal function going forward,” Sanders told the Anderson Reporter. “And it took quite a while to heal from. There was also a good amount of downtime, usually one to two weeks off work for that. And now we're able to do that with balloon sinuplasty in the office.”

Sinus sufferers spent an average of 8.3 homebound days before having the procedure, but after having a balloon sinuplasty, the average recovery is only 1.4 days, compared to the 4.2 recovery days required for surgical interventions, according to the journal The Laryngoscope. Other methods include open nasal reconstruction, similar to rhinoplasty and typically recommended to patients with small nasal passages, as well as freezing the nerves in the back end of the patient’s nose to help reduce the discomfort of a runny rose, Sanders explains.

The Indianapolis Sinus Center offers an evaluation quiz for patients seeking additional help with their symptoms.