Balloon Sinuplasty in Houston, TX

What is Balloon Sinuplasty?

Balloon Sinuplasty uses a small, flexible, balloon catheter to open up blocked sinuses. It’s an outpatient procedure performed in our AAAASF Surgery Center in our Spring, Texas office. Most patients experience little to no downtime with Balloon Sinuplasty procedure.

The process is like those used to clear blocked arteries in balloon angioplasty. We insert a tiny balloon into the sinuses and inflate it. This opens up blocked sinuses and helps drain mucus build up. It also restructures and widens the walls of the sinus passageway. This happens all while maintaining the integrity of the sinus lining. This allows our patients who suffer from sinusitis to breathe easy again.

Learn More About Balloon Sinuplasty in Houston from Dr. Ben Cilento

Sinuses are air filled cavities that protect our eyes and brain from trauma. They have a lining of the same pink skin that lines your mouth and nose. They’re especially susceptible to inflammation.

If the lining swells from contact with allergens, viruses, or bacteria they can completely close the openings to your sinuses. This causes the sinuses to stop draining. That is when you feel the symptoms of sinus pressure, pain, headaches, nasal drainage and congestion as well as repeat sinus infections. In some cases treatment like Balloon Sinuplasty is needed to help reopen the sinus pathways.

Think you might need a balloon sinuplasty? Take our quiz...

Curious about your symptoms and if Balloon Sinuplasty might be right for you? Take our quiz and find out if it’s time to make an appointment.

Blocked sinus pathways create pressure and cause sinusitis.

The balloon is positioned and gently inflated, remodeling the sinus pathways.

Open sinus pathways restore drainage and allow for fewer infections and clearer breathing.

Who Is A Good Candidate for Balloon Sinuplasty?

A proper exam is the only way to know if you’re a good candidate for Balloon Sinuplasty. Patients with severe structural issues such as a deviated septum, or nasal polyps, are still good candidates. At Texas Sinus & Snoring we have a state of the art facility that can handle all levels of surgery in an in-office setting.

Balloon sinuplasty dilates the blocked passages. It doesn’t remove chronically inflamed tissue. When structural problems cause the blockage, Dr. Cilento may combine balloon sinuplasty with other forms of surgery like endoscopic sinus surgery.

Again, a proper exam is the only way to know if Balloon Sinuplasty is right for you.

What does Balloon Sinuplasty Cost?

Your insurance coverage depends on your specific provider and plan. Our patient care coordinator along with our billing team will work with you to understand your coverage. They will also help with determining the cost of your balloon sinuplasty.

Balloon Sinuplasty Snoring

If the cause of your snoring is sinusitis, a balloon sinuplasty may help with your snoring. A proper exam is important. During your exam, we can diagnose your snoring issues and find out what treatment is right for you.

In some cases we may order a sleep study. We offer at home sleep studies, another step towards comprehensive care.

Balloon Sinuplasty vs Traditional Sinus Surgery

Balloon sinuplasty offers a much easier solution for chronic sinusitis. The procedure doesn’t involve any removal of bone, cartilage, or tissue. Because of this, there is little to no downtime or loss of work.

In contrast, traditional sinus surgery requires the patient to be under general anesthesia. The patient should expect 3-5 days of recovery time. They also must limit strenuous exercise or activity for a couple weeks.

Often we can perform balloon sinuplasty with the patient under only local anesthesia. There is minimal or no bleeding and low post-procedure pain. There are also very few restrictions on activity post op.

What Are The Risks of Balloon Sinuplasty?

This procedure is safer than traditional sinuplasty because it is minimally invasive. Balloon sinuplasty doesn’t have the risks of bleeding and infection seen in traditional sinus surgery. Post-operative pain is far less. Plus, this treatment doesn’t limit any future treatments or procedures. In other words, you are not burning any bridges if you wind up needing more extensive surgery in the future.

What Anesthesia Is Used?

Dr. Cilento has designed a state of the art facility with an advanced in office operating room. Our surgery center is AAAASF certified (one of the only sinus surgery centers in Houston with this level of accreditation). We use only board certified anesthesiologists for your safety and comfort.

We do Balloon Sinuplasty procedures right in our office. You have the option of only local anesthesia. General anesthesia is still available for those who prefer it. We will discuss all your options during your consultation.

How Long Does it Take to Recover From Balloon Sinuplasty?

Overall balloon sinuplasty does not cause much trauma to the nasal area. This makes it relatively non-invasive and have minimal recovery time. Most patients can return to work and their normal activities after one day.

Procedure Steps

Unlike traditional sinuplasty, balloon sinuplasty requires no cutting or removal of bone and tissue. The procedure is pretty simple and can usually be done in our AAAASF Certified surgery center right in our office.

Step 1

We make our patient comfortable as possible. During your pre op appointment we’ll discuss sedation options from mild all the way to general anesthesia.

Step 2

Your surgeon will insert a guide catheter with an endoscope into the nostril. We use the latest technology to help guide the surgery process.

Step 3

The guide catheter reaches the sinus opening and is then advanced into the blocked sinus.

Step 4

The balloon catheter is placed onto the guide and moved up to the opening of the blocked sinus.

Step 5

The balloon is slowly inflated. As it widens, it instantly restructures the walls of the sinus. This does not harm the sinus lining in any way. This is a permanent change and results in “remodeling” of the sinuses from that point on.

Step 6

We spray saline solution through the catheter into the inflamed sinus to flush out the pus and mucus.

Step 7

Next we take cultures to identify any pathogens present including sensitivities to direct appropriate antibiotic therapy. Then we remove the catheter.

Balloon Sinuplasty in Houston, TX

What is Balloon Sinuplasty?

Learn More About Balloon Sinuplasty in Houston from Dr. Ben Cilento

Think you might need a balloon sinuplasty? Take our quiz...

Who Is A Good Candidate for Balloon Sinuplasty?

What does Balloon Sinuplasty Cost?

Balloon Sinuplasty Snoring

Balloon Sinuplasty vs Traditional Sinus Surgery

What Are The Risks of Balloon Sinuplasty?

What Anesthesia Is Used?

How Long Does it Take to Recover From Balloon Sinuplasty?

Procedure Steps

Headache

Tinnitus

Congestion

Allergies

Cough

Runny Nose

Snoring