What to Expect During and After Balloon Sinuplasty

About 11% of women and men in the United States have been diagnosed with chronic sinusitis, an irritating, uncomfortable inflammation of the sinus passages that makes it hard to breathe. 

If you suffer from a chronically stuffed-up nose, postnasal drip, or a bad taste in your mouth that translates to bad breath, you too may have chronic sinusitis.

Sinusitis frequently follows a cold or other nasal infection and usually resolves on its own. When it persists for 12 weeks or longer, it’s considered a chronic condition that needs treatment.

Raj Bhayani, MD, at the New York Institute of Otolaryngology and Aesthetic Surgery, with New York City offices in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, and Rego Park, Queens, is a highly trained ENT physician and surgeon.

When it comes to sinusitis, he’s an expert. Dr. Bhayani always begins with conservative treatment: medications, anti-inflammatory nasal sprays, or saltwater irrigation that clears your nose and sinuses.

If your symptoms don’t resolve, he may recommend a simple procedure called balloon sinuplasty.

In this blog, Dr. Bhayani breaks down what happens during and after balloon sinuplasty. 

Are you a good candidate?

Not everyone with chronic sinusitis benefits from balloon sinuplasty. It usually works best if you’ve only recently been diagnosed with sinusitis.

To determine if you’d benefit from the procedure, Dr. Bhayani uses computed tomography (CT) scans to visualize your sinuses and nasal structures. CT scans help him identify polyps that should be removed or a severely deviated septum that would respond better to surgery.

Balloon sinuplasty is an outpatient procedure

If Dr. Bhayani establishes that you’re a candidate, you don’t have to go to the hospital for balloon sinuplasty. In most cases, you don’t need general anesthesia, either.

However, arrange for somebody to drive you home after your procedure. The sedative we give you takes many hours to wear off. You won’t be alert enough to drive or take public transport.

We prep you for sinuplasty

You sit up comfortably for your balloon sinuplasty. Even with a sedative, you’re conscious during the procedure, though you may feel drowsy.

Dr. Bhayani administers an anesthetic spray and a decongestant to further numb your nose. He then sprays anesthetic onto cotton pads and puts them up your nose to completely numb it. Once your nose is numb, he removes the pads and injects a more powerful anesthetic.

There are no needles or scalpels 

Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure. Instead of cutting away inflamed tissue, Dr. Bhayani pushes it aside by inflating a balloon in your sinuses.

First, he threads a guidewire catheter through your nostril and into the inflamed sinus. The catheter contains an endoscope and a miniature, deflated balloon. He monitors the progress of the catheter through a real-time, 3D image that the endoscope sends to a computer monitor.

Once the balloon is in place, he inflates it. The balloon pushes your inflamed tissues against the sinus walls. That opens your sinus so that air passes through more easily again. He then deflates the balloon and moves on to the next inflamed sinus. 

Let yourself recover 

After the procedure, you remain in our office for a few minutes so we can ensure there are no complications. Again, please have a friend or family member drive you home. 

During your recovery period of 24-48 hours, you should rest at home. Don’t try to go to work or do anything strenuous. Skip the gym or any kind of physical labor for about a week. We also recommend that during the first two days you:

• Rinse your nose with nasal spray
• Refrain from blowing your nose
• Sleep with your head elevated

You may bleed a little postoperatively. However, let us know if you have breakthrough bleeding, pus, or other symptoms. As the sedative wears off, you can switch to over-the-counter painkillers.

Breathe freely

After your recovery period, your symptoms should resolve, and you should be able to breathe more fully and freely.

Be sure to keep your follow-up appointments. Come back to see Dr. Bhayani for endoscopic nasal exams at:

• One week post-procedure
• Three months post-procedure
• One year post-procedure

Most people who undergo balloon sinuplasty enjoy long-term relief. However, if you have pain or continued symptoms, you may need another sinuplasty or other form of treatment. 

Stop suffering from chronic sinusitis. Contact Dr. Bhayani by phone or online today at the New York Institute of Otolaryngology and Aesthetic Surgery.