Indy Standard

• Almost 29 million people in the U.S. suffer from chronic sinusitis.

• Balloon sinuplasty is less invasive, carries and a lower risk and has a shorter recovery period than traditional sinus surgery.

• Average recovery time for a balloon sinuplasty patient is one to two days.

Dr. Anthony Sanders | Indianapolis Sinus Center

Chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million American adults, or 11% of the adult population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Chronic sinusitis is responsible for 4.1 million doctor visits and more than 230,000 emergency room visits each year.

Chronic sinusitis is one of the most common chronic medical conditions among Americans, and it can have a negative affect on a person's quality of life, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).

The NCBI conducted a study comparing patients who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) with patients who opted for a balloon sinuplasty to treat chronic sinusitis and found that, although both procedures are effective, balloon sinuplasty patients needed fewer antibiotic treatments after their procedures. FESS involves removing sinus tissue, while a balloon sinuplasty is "less traumatic" because it doesn't involve removing any tissue and instead relies on dilation to improve sinus function.

"In the past, when people would seek medical treatment, they were then subjected to a much more invasive procedure, requiring a trip to the hospital or surgery center and a lengthy operation, which sometimes would impact normal nasal function going forward," Dr. Anthony Sanders of Indianapolis Sinus Center told Indy Standard. "And it took quite a while to heal. There was also a good amount of downtime, usually one to two weeks off work. And now we're able to do that with balloon sinuplasty in the office. Generally, people are back to work in a day or two afterward in most cases, and the results are very similar, as far as symptom control. However, it tends to leave people with less damage to normal nasal function."

A balloon sinuplasty procedure lasts 10 to 15 minutes, and patients typically recover within one to two days. Most patients can resume their normal activities in that time period, although they may experience some swelling for up to a week, according to Dr. Michael Eisemann of Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center in Houston. FESS procedures take one and a half to two hours, and patients might need up to four weeks to fully recover, during which time they should avoid strenuous activities such as exercising.

If you're interested in learning more about diagnosis or treatment of chronic sinusitis, please take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.