Balloon sinuplasty is the gold standard in treating patients with chronic sinusitis

• Balloon sinuplasty is a straightforward procedure with minimal complications.

• 91% of patients said they would have the procedure again.

• 85% of patients reported improvement two years after the procedure.

The gold standard in helping patients with ongoing sinus conditions is called balloon sinuplasty. The Food and Drug Administration approved the procedure in 2005, and it has been called the “smart surgery” because of its minimally invasive technique and minimal recovery period.

Balloon sinuplasty is fairly straightforward, and reported complications are mild, according to Healthline. It is most likely to be recommended for people with chronic sinusitis, after other treatments for their condition have been ineffective. The procedure is not as costly, because it can be performed in a medical office, when compared to traditional sinus surgery in a hospital setting, and it is generally paid for by insurance. 

“On conventional surgery, I advise the patient: You'll be out of work or school for about seven days recovering, concentrating on rinsing your nose and not blowing your nose and seeing me for debridements on a regular basis. Versus the minimally invasive approach, where there's usually maybe one day, the day of the procedure, maybe at max one day afterwards of downtime," Dr. Jamie Oberman of Frederick Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers said.

An early intervention does not just boost the patients' quality of life, but also provides lasting relief and keeps down out-of-pocket health care costs. The approximate annual cost of sinusitis is between $10 and $14 billion, according to Current Allergy and Asthma Reports. Patients tolerate office balloon procedures well, with an average pain score in one study of 2.8, published in the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy.

Patients who decide on an in-office balloon sinuplasty typically require just 1.4 days of recovery, compared to 4.2 days for patients with traditional surgical procedures, according to the journal Laryngoscope. Ninety-one percent of patients claimed that they would have a balloon procedure again, while less than 50% of functional endoscopic sinus surgery patients said they would have the procedure again, according to the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy.

A past study carried out by Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation said that 85% of patients continued to report improvements with their sinus symptoms two years after having the balloon sinuplasty procedure.

Symptoms of sinus disease are inflammation of the sinuses, sinus headache, maxillary sinus pain and thick discolored discharge, according to Mayo Clinic.

To learn more about the balloon sinuplasty procedure, begin by taking a sinus self-assessment quiz.