NW LA Times

• Balloon sinuplasty was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005.
• The procedure can help treat chronic sinusitis with long-lasting effects.
• Balloon dilation is minimally invasive, and there's no cutting or removal of bones or tissue. 

Balloon sinuplasty, which is also known as balloon catheter dilation surgery, is a procedure that clears blocked sinuses. It's a relatively new procedure, having been approved by the FDA in 2005. It is sometimes referred to as the “smart sinus” procedure.

According to Healthline, balloon sinuplasty is recommended for people with chronic sinusitis, after other treatments for their condition have proven ineffective. There's no cutting, no removal of bones or tissue, and reported complications are minimal.

Dr. Matt Hershcovitch of SoCal Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers said the balloon sinuplasty is one of the safest and most effective procedures for sinusitis.

"To be honest, almost everybody is a good candidate for this," Hershcovitch told NW LA Times. "Because this is done here in the office as a minimally invasive procedure, the balloon sinuplasty is one of the safest -- if not the safest -- sinus procedure you can actually undergo. This allows us to offer the procedure to many patients who would not otherwise be candidates. Many of my more senior patients are fearful, for good reason, of going under a general anesthetic and wish to avoid that. The balloon sinuplasty allows us to perform the procedure on a whole range of patients. Anyone from an early teenager, all the way up to centenarians."

A balloon sinuplasty is an in-office procedure that's simple and only takes about an hour, according to Entellus Medical. The preparation takes about thirty minutes and involves anesthetics being applied to the nose for more comfort. A thin instrument with a balloon is then guided through your sinus, the balloon is gently inflated for five seconds with saline, and when your sinuses open, the balloon is removed.

Physical symptoms of chronic sinusitis can include nasal inflammation, a runny nose, postnasal drainage, congestion, pain or swelling in the face, headaches, loss of smell and taste, a sore threat, bad breath or fatigue, according to Mayo Clinic.

For more information about the symptoms of chronic sinusitis and allergies, please take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.