Balloon Sinuplasty

Lakeshore residents suffering from chronic sinusitis may find relief from a revolutionary new procedure offered at Holland Hospital that is safe and less invasive and painful than traditional sinus surgery.

Known as balloon sinuplasty, the procedure borrows a technique that has long been used to open clogged heart arteries. It involves guiding a tiny wire catheter through the nostrils and into the sinuses, and then threading a small balloon along the wire. The balloon is then gently inflated to prop open and push back the bone in the sinus cavity, opening the passageway and allowing fluid to drain normally. The balloon is deflated and removed along with the catheter.

Traditional surgery vs. balloon sinuplasty
Unlike conventional sinusitis surgery, balloon sinuplasty provides almost immediate relief with less pain and recovery time. Instead of missing up to two weeks of work, patients can often resume normal activities within 24 hours.

“In traditional endoscopic sinus surgery, we would make incisions and remove tissue to make the opening of the cavity bigger. That can cause scarring, bleeding and pain,” explains Richard Strabbing, DO, an ear, nose and throat physician with Michigan Medical PC in Holland. “When we use the balloon, we’re not cutting through bone or the sinus openings. We’re just displacing bone to make the natural opening bigger.”

Strabbing and fellow MMPC physician Tracy Orton, DO, are two of about only 100 doctors nationwide who are trained to perform balloon sinuplasty. “This is a new instrument for us to use for sinus surgery,” adds Orton. “There are minimal side effects and it’s much less invasive [than traditional sinus surgery].”

Early Studies Promising

Because balloon sinuplasty is a new technique, there’s no indication of its long-term effectiveness and how many years sinus cavities will remain open. Preliminary studies, however, look promising.

“Patients who have had this surgery still have open sinus cavities that have not scarred shut a year after the surgery,” Strabbing says. “There’s also nothing about this procedure that prevents us from going in and doing traditional sinus surgery later on if needed.”

Sinusitis symptoms and triggers
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, up to 14 percent of Americans suffer from sinusitis every year. It’s caused when the lining of the sinuses – the hollow air spaces within the facial bones – become inflamed, usually because of mucus buildup and bacterial infection.

Symptoms can include headache, facial pain, congestion, fever, yellow or green nasal discharge, postnasal drip, or a cough with mucus. Sinusitis can come on suddenly (acute) and last for up to four weeks, or it can be lingering and recurring (chronic). Sinusitis can be triggered by colds, but also by allergies. It’s important to be allergy tested to help prevent secondary sinusitis. 

Sinusitis can be treated with antibiotics, decongestants and pain relievers. Applying heat pads on the inflamed area and using saline nasal sprays and vaporizers can also help. But in severe cases, surgery may be necessary.

About the Doctors

Michigan Medical PC -
Holland ENT
3232 North Wellness Drive
Holland  Michigan  49424
Office Phone: (616) 786-4008