Chronic Sinusitis Treatment
Chronic sinusitis affects 31 million people each year and is one of the most common health conditions in America. Chronic sinusitis occurs when the sinus linings become inflamed, blocking the natural drainage passageways and leading to chronic infections and nasal obstructions. Some common symptoms are facial pain or pressure, nasal congestion and difficulty breathing, discolored nasal discharge, loss of smell and taste, headache and fatigue.
The painful and often overwhelming symptoms associated with chronic sinusitis can be difficult to control with medications alone, which is when your primary care doctor may refer you to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist. The ENT specialist can determine the best course of treatment, including further medication therapy or surgery to open the sinus passageways.
Bring this test to your doctor to help determine whether you would be a good candidate for sinus surgery.
Now, there is help using balloon dilation surgery, a minimally invasive surgical option for treatment of blocked sinuses. If you have been diagnosed with chronic sinusitis and are not responding well to antibiotics, you may be a candidate for surgery.
Balloon dilation surgery is an endoscopic, catheter-based system for patients suffering from sinusitis. The FDA-cleared technology uses a small, flexible, sinus balloon catheter to open up blocked sinus passageways to restore normal sinus drainage. When the sinus balloon is inflated, it gently restructures and widens the walls of the passageway while maintaining the integrity of the sinus lining.
Steps associated with using the balloon dilation technology are illustrated below:
Benefits of balloon dilation surgery
The benefits of balloon dilation technology for treating chronic sinusitis symptoms include:
Safe and Effective: While use of any surgical instrument involves some risk, clinical research has indicated the balloon dilation system to be safe and effective in relieving symptoms of sinusitis.
Minimally Invasive: Using small, soft, flexible devices that enter entirely through the nostrils, these devices gently open blocked sinus openings, and in many cases, without tissue or bone removal.
Reduced Bleeding: Reduced bleeding associated with the procedure can be expected in instances when no tissue or bone is removed.
Improved Recovery Time: Keeping in mind that recovery time varies with each patient, many people can return to normal activities within 24 hours.
Does Not Limit Treatment Options: This technology is an endoscopic tool and may be used with other medical therapies or sinus surgery techniques. It does not limit future treatment options if you have progressive disease.
Another option could be the steroid-releasing implant.
The dissolvable controlled drug delivery implant offers relief for patients with chronic sinusitis. It is a steroid-releasing implant and is the first in a new category of products offering a localized, controlled delivery of steroid to the sinus tissue. The implant is inserted by the physician to maintain the surgical opening. The self-expanding nature ensures the implant props open the sinus cavity, maximizing targeted drug delivery directly to the sinus membrane. Mometasone furoate, a corticosteroid with anti-inflammatory properties, is placed firmly in a highly customized polymer that controls the release of the drug over time while the implant dissolves.
Benefits of Steroid-Releasing Implant
After three clinical trials, the implant has proven to be safe and to maintain the results of sinus surgery by reducing post-operative adhesions, inflammation, polyposis (masses of overgrown tissue) and middle turbinate lateralization (the obstruction of the frontal sinus).
Reducing the above factors is proven to improve long-term outcomes and to reduce the need for a second surgery and oral steroids.