When conventional treatments for long-term sinus conditions do not work, balloon sinuplasty offers patients a minimally invasive surgical procedure to relieve sinusitis.

Healthline reported that balloon sinuplasty, a procedure that clears blocked sinuses, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2005.

Dr. Matt D. Hershcovitch, with SoCal Breathe Free, said that prior to balloon sinuplasty, sinus surgery was invasive and required wide incisions both on the face and inside the mouth to drain and improve the sinus cavities.

“This was significantly better than what was going on before in the dark ages, but great improvement could be made, and it was still not optimal because these patients still had significant risk undergoing these procedures and still had significant complications and difficulty after these procedures,” Hershcovitch told California Business Daily. "Moreover, it wasn't the easiest recovery, it required a surgery in a surgery center or hospital, and the patients had quite a bit of pain for some time."

Balloon sinuplasty is provided to patients without involving invasive surgery, and it’s highly effective and safe, Hershcovitch said.

The procedure is usually advised for individuals with chronic sinusitis, when other treatments have been found to be ineffective and balloon sinuplasty involves no cutting and no removal of bones or tissue, according to Healthline.

Hershcovitch said balloon sinuplasty is by far the most effective tool to open the sinus passageways in a minimally invasive way, allowing for a quick recovery and an effective, long-lasting result.

“In addition, we can actually repair nasal valves in the office as well, this is something that had never been possible prior to (the) last few years,” he said. “And we actually put a dissolvable implant inside the nose that holds everything open so breathing is significantly improved. The structure of the nose improved and you don't have these horrible obstructions and collapses that plague so many people. It is very common to see collapse after rhinoplasty here in Los Angeles.”

Healthline reports that balloon sinuplasty can be performed under local or general anesthesia that involves the insertion of a very slim and flexible balloon catheter into your sinus passage.

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