What is sinuplasty?

Sinuplasty is a new technique in sinus surgery. Similar to traditional sinus surgery, the goal is to treat recurrent and chronic sinusitis that has not improved with medical therapy.

Conventional sinus surgery uses endoscopic instruments such as microdebriders and forceps; in sinuplasty, surgeons use balloons to dilate the sinus openings. This is similar to the technique used in angioplasty, where balloons are used to open blocked blood vessels.

Benefits of sinuplasty include:

• Less trauma to the surrounding tissue
• Preserves the natural sinus openings
• Recovery may be faster

However, not all patients are candidates for this type of sinus surgery. For example, sinuplasty is not effective in removing nasal polyps, or for patients who have extensive scarring of their sinus openings.