Balloon Sinuplasty at Leeds Hospital

What is balloon sinuplasty?

Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a tiny balloon to widen blocked sinus passages so that mucus can drain more easily. It's used to treat chronic sinusitis when medicines alone haven't eased your symptoms.

What conditions does it treat?

Balloon sinuplasty is used for chronic sinusitis, where sinus symptoms such as a blocked or runny nose and facial pressure have lasted more than 12 weeks despite treatments such as antibiotics, decongestants, steroid sprays, or saline rinses.

What are the benefits of having balloon sinuplasty?

• It doesn't involve any cutting or removal of bone or tissue, unlike traditional sinus surgery
• It can often be done under local anaesthetic in a clinic setting rather than under general anaesthetic in a hospital theatre
• Compared with sinus surgery, it's generally linked with a faster recovery and less pain afterwards
• Results can be long-lasting, with studies showing improvement in symptoms and quality of life lasting up to 2 years or more
• It can be used alongside other treatments and repeated later if needed
• Most people return to work and normal daily activities within about 2 days.

Are there different types approaches?

• In a hospital operating theatre:
• In a clinic setting: done under local anaesthetic, so you stay awake but feel no pain in your nose; this suits people who want to avoid a general anaesthetic or the stress of an operating theatre.
• Traditional endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS):

What happens before the operation?

• You have a CT scan so your specialist can confirm balloon sinuplasty is right for you and see exactly where your sinuses are blocked
• You discuss whether your procedure will be done in a hospital operating theatre or a clinic setting, as this affects the type of anaesthetic you'll have
• If you're having a general anaesthetic or sedation, you're given the usual pre-operative guidance for this
• You arrange for someone to take you home afterwards, particularly if you've had sedation or a general anaesthetic.

What happens during the procedure?

1. You're given anaesthesia appropriate to your setting: general anaesthetic or sedation in a hospital theatre, or local anaesthetic in a clinic.
2. A decongestant is put into your nose to reduce bleeding, and the lining of your nose is numbed with local anaesthetic.
3. Your specialist uses a thin, lighted tube called an endoscope to guide a small catheter into your nostril and up to the blocked sinus opening.
4. The catheter guides a tiny balloon into the blocked sinus, which is slowly inflated to gently widen the passage.
5. A saline solution may be flushed through to clear away trapped mucus.
6. The balloon is deflated and removed, leaving the sinus passage wider so it can drain more easily. This is repeated in each sinus that needs treating.

What does recovery look like?

At the hospital or clinic

You stay at the hospital or clinic until you feel comfortable enough to leave. You'll need someone to drive you home, particularly if you've had sedation or a general anaesthetic.

At home

• Rest at home for around 24 to 48 hours
• Avoid blowing your nose during this time
• Rinse your nostrils with a saline spray
• Sleep with your head raised if you feel congested
• Avoid strenuous activity for the first week.

Many people are back to work and normal daily activities within about 2 days, and most are on track for a full recovery within 1 to 2 weeks. Your specialist will arrange follow-up for you after the procedure to check your progress.

What are the risks and complications?

Complications are uncommon, but as with any procedure they can happen. They can include:

• Bleeding; some bloody drainage from your nose afterwards is normal, but call your specialist if it's heavy or won't stop
• Infection
• Reaction to the anaesthetic
• Damage to structures around the eye, or, very rarely, a leak of the fluid that surrounds the brain (cerebrospinal fluid), since the sinuses sit close by
• Trauma to the lining of the nose or sinuses.

Your symptoms might come back after treatment. If they do, you may need another balloon sinuplasty or a different treatment, such as endoscopic sinus surgery.