West Florida News

• 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. Matthew Blair | Gulf Coast Breathe Free

Many people needlessly endure chronic sinusitis and other sinus conditions when a low-trauma surgical procedure could dramatically reduce those symptoms, a Pensacola physician said.

Balloon sinuplasty is the answer for many sinus sufferers, Dr. Matthew Blair, a board-certified otolaryngologist with Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers in Pensacola, told West Florida News.

"The recovery is very, very favorable for the patient compared to traditional sinus surgery," Blair said. "Most people will benefit from it to the point where they won't need a second procedure."

Balloon sinuplasty is an effective, minimally invasive procedure patients should try before going through traditional sinus surgery, Blair said.

"That's why it's called 'smart sinus surgery,' because it's very tailored to a specific sinus," he told West Florida News.

Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers is located on Spanish Trail in Pensacola.

Chronic sinusitis is far from a rare condition in the U.S. The ailment affects 28.9 million American adults, 11% of the adult population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic sinusitis also 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 in the U.S. and often has a negative affect on quality of life, according to a National Center for Biotechnology Information study first published in 2015. The study compared patients who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery with patients who opted for a balloon sinuplasty to treat chronic sinusitis.

The results found that, although both procedures are effective, balloon sinuplasty patients needed fewer antibiotic treatment after their procedures than did patients in the other group. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery requires removal of sinus tissue, while balloon sinuplasty relies on dilation to improve sinus function.

A balloon sinuplasty procedure lasts about 10 to 15 minutes and patients typically recover within one to two days, according to Dr. Bradley Eisemann of Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center. Most patients resume their normal activities in that same short time period, though they may experience some swelling for up to a week. By contrast, functional endoscopic sinus surgical procedures can take two hours and patients might need up to four weeks to fully recover while avoiding strenuous activities, such as exercising, during that time.

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