Millions of people suffer from chronic sinus problems. When medication fails to provide more than short-term relief, surgery may be necessary. Your ENT doctor can perform both inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures for a variety of chronic sinus disorders.
CHRONIC SINUSITIS
Patients with chronic sinusitis or chronic rhinosinusitis have conditions that cause fluid build-up in the sinus passageways. The causes can include narrow sinuses, blockages, or chronic sinus obstructions. The resulting infections may be relieved by functional endoscopic sinus surgery or FESS.
Your ENT doctor can often complete FESS procedures on an outpatient basis. The doctor uses an endoscope (a camera and light fitted to a flexible tube) to get a better look inside the sinus cavity. There are no incisions, and the procedure is minimally invasive.
ONGOING CHRONIC SINUSITIS
For patients with acute sinusitis, blocked sinuses, a previous sinus surgery, or chronic sinusitis lasting more than three months, balloon sinuplasty is an option. As a minimally invasive procedure, there are definite advantages to balloon sinuplasty.
Using a tiny balloon inserted into the sinus cavity, your ENT doctor will open the sinuses, allowing the passages to drain. The benefits include less bleeding, faster return to normal activities, less pain than traditional surgery, and no nasal packing. Your ENT doctor may perform the procedure in the operating room under general anesthesia or as an outpatient procedure using local anesthesia.
SEPTUM REPAIR
The septum is the cartilage and bone that separates your nostrils to the left and right. During septoplasty (surgical repair to the septum), your ENT doctor can correct a deviated septum or septal perforations. During septoplasty, your ENT doctor can reshape the septum, alleviating problems caused by these and other conditions.
At Southwest Idaho Ear Nose and Throat, our ENT doctors can perform a variety of surgical sinus procedures.
Call Southwest Idaho ENT at (208) 336-4368 for more information or to schedule an appointment.