Misconceptions and Debunking the Myths About Balloon Sinuplasty
Balloon sinuplasty is a form of treatment for chronic sinusitis that delivers long-term sinus relief. As a relatively newer procedure, there have been misconceptions about balloon sinuplasty. Examples include people asking if balloon sinuplasty changes your nose shape or if it is simply not effective. We will be debunking these myths in this article, once and for all.
Some Background on Balloon Sinuplasty
Balloon sinuplasty treats chronic sinusitis. This is a condition that causes inflammation in the nose and sinuses. Sinusitis symptoms include headaches, facial pain, and a stuffy nose. Chronic sinusitis can affect people at any age, but it’s most common in adults between 30 and 60 years old.
ENTs perform the procedure where a balloon is inflated to gently expand the blood supply to your nasal passage and increase airflow into your nose. This helps drain excess mucus from your sinuses, so it doesn’t build up and block your nostrils.
Misconceptions About Balloon Sinuplasty
Before you decide to have balloon sinuplasty, you may have misconceptions about the procedure and its results. Here are some of the most common misconceptions about balloon sinuplasty, along with rebuttals;
Myth 1: It Is Unsafe
Complications such as bleeding or infection are rare after balloon placement. In fact, it does not have nearly as much risk of sinus surgery at all.
Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure performed with a flexible endoscope. The balloon is inserted into the airway and inflated to expand the airway and create a new airway. It is an outpatient procedure where patients can return home within 24 hours after their surgery.
On the other hand, endoscopic sinus surgery requires general anesthesia and involves more extensive cuts into the bone around the nose.
Balloon sinuplasty takes approximately 30 minutes, and most patients do not require sedation.
Myth 2: It’s More Ineffective Than Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
The most common misconception about balloon sinuplasty is that it’s not as effective as endoscopic sinus surgery. But this is not true.
The results from balloon sinuplasty and the more traditional endoscopic sinus surgery are similar regarding improvement in nasal airflow.
While it may take a little longer for your doctor to see results with balloon sinuplasty than with an endoscopic procedure, once they do, patients can expect to improve their symptoms faster and see better results than they would with traditional sinus surgery.
Balloon sinus surgery is just as effective as endoscopic surgery when achieving long-term improvement in symptoms and quality of life. Some studies show that balloon sinuplasty may even be better than endoscopic sinus surgery to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This condition can cause various symptoms, including chronic cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
Myth 3: It Has a Long Recovery Time
Recovery from balloon sinuplasty takes much less time than traditional surgical procedures. It requires only a few days of rest at home (or in the hospital). Although some people feel like they can return to normal activities immediately.
Recovery from balloon sinuplasty is no different from recovery after any procedure requiring general anesthesia, including complete mouth extractions and dental procedures such as crowns or bridges.
It can take up to two weeks to recover fully after the procedure, but most people return to work within two days of having their procedure done (even patients flying by commercial airline).
Myth 4: It Will Change the Way My Nose Looks/Shaped
Your nose will stay exactly how it was before your surgery; you won’t notice any noticeable changes in your appearance when you wake up after surgery. Your nose shape will remain the same after balloon sinuplasty because your nostrils are still open to air passage, but they will be smaller due to less tissue mass. The result is an improved breathing environment.
Balloon sinuplasty aims to reduce congestion in the nose by creating negative pressure in the airway during sleep. This reduces the risk of snoring and prevents it from worsening while improving the overall quality of life.
Now that you know more about what balloon sinuplasty can do, you can make a more informed decision about having the procedure done for yourself. Take our balloon sinuplasty quiz to see if you’re a suitable candidate, and then consult our doctor about scheduling the procedure.
