Advertisement The 58-year-old De Soto, Wis., man would lie down until the headaches went away.
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Franciscan Skemp Otolaryngologist Dr. Neil Brown speaks with patient Raymond Buckingham about his recent balloon sinuplasty surgery during recent clinic visit.
PETER THOMSON photo |
“The sinus pressure was so bad it felt like a chain saw cutting the side of your head off,” Buckingham said. “The headaches were disabling, but I’d just grin and bear it.”
Buckingham had three traditional surgeries over the past 11 years for polyps and chronic sinusitis, a condition when sinuses become infected and inflamed. The first surgery worked well for several years until the condition slowly returned.
Three months ago, Dr. Neil Brown, a Franciscan Skemp Healthcare ear, nose and throat specialist and surgeon, performed a less invasive sinus surgery, balloon sinuplasty, to clear up both of Buckingham’s sinuses.
Similar to balloon angioplasty for clogged heart arteries, Brown used a thin balloon guided through a catheter and wire. He inflated the balloon to open the passages to Buckingham’s sinuses. No incision was needed.
Buckingham had normal sinus function again. “Sinuplasty is less invasive and just as effective as regular surgery — and it’s very safe,” Brown said.
Buckingham said he felt better instantly after the surgery. “The pressure was gone, and my breathing was better,” he said. “I started to smell, and food tasted better.”
Buckingham said he couldn’t even smell lilac bushes or a dead skunk in the middle of the road when his sinuses were plugged.
“I smell everything now, even that skunk,” he said.
Brown said he has done about 50 sinuplasty procedures in the less than a year it has been available at Franciscan Skemp.
He usually treats sinusitis with medication first, but when medication no longer helps, or the infection keeps returning, then sinuplasty can be a good option.
“We’re still doing the traditional surgery because not everyone is going to be a good candidate for sinuplasty,” Brown said. “I think we’ll see sinuplasty used more and more on patients. It’s the wave of the future for sinus surgery.”
Dr. Edwin Overholt, a Gundersen Lutheran ear, nose and throat specialist and surgeon, performed the first balloon sinuplasty in La Crosse in November 2006. Since then, he has done 68 of the procedures.
“Sinus surgery is evolving into more minimally invasive procedures like other surgeries,” Overholt said. “This balloon technique is an extension of that.
“What we get is less tissue disruption from sinuplasty and fewer complications,” he said. “Patients experience less pain and healing is faster.”
Overholt said sinuplasty is less likely to injure the bones surrounding the eye and brain, and patients are less likely to form scar tissue that could cause the sinuses to close again.
Reported adverse reactions have been rare, Overholt said.
He said Gundersen Lutheran plans to publish a study of its sinuplasty results.
Overholt said at least one-third of the sinusitis patients at Gundersen Lutheran have been receiving balloon sinuplasty instead of traditional surgery. He said the only drawback to sinuplasty is a little bit of radiation exposure, about the same as a CT scan of the head and much less than angioplasty.
“It’s a wonderful new arrow in our quiver, but it’s not for everybody or every sinus condition,” he said.
HOW BALLON SINUPLASTY WORKS
STEP 1: A guide catheter is inserted into the sinus, then a guide wire is introduced inside the catheter.
STEP 2: The balloon catheter tracks over the guide wire and is positioned across the blocked ostium. The balloon is inflated to restructure the blocked ostium.
STEP 3: The balloon is removed, leaving the ostium open and allowing the return of normal sinus drainage and function.
Text and photo source: Acclarent Inc.
WHAT IS SINUSITIS?
Sinusitis occurs when sinuses become infected and inflamed. It often is triggered by colds or allergies. Symptoms include runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, cough with mucus, earache, painful pressure, headache, and jaw or tooth pain. Often the immune system will knock out sinusitis while steam, fluids and over-the-counter decongestants and pain relievers can ease symptoms. But it may be time to call a specialist if there’s no improvement, symptoms worsen or you have a persistent fever, thick mucus discharge or nose bleeds.
Source: Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center
BENEFITS OF BALLOON SINUPLASTY
Safe and effective. While the use of any surgical instrument involves some risk, studies show that the ballon sinuplasty system is safe and effective in relieving symptoms of sinusitis.
Minimally invasive. The technology uses small, soft, flexible devices introduced entirely through the nostrils. These devices gently opened blocked sinuses.
Reduced bleeding. In many cases, no tissue or bone is removed during surgery using this technology, so there is reduced bleeding. As a result, the need for uncomfortable nasal packing also may be eliminated.
Fast recovery time. While recovery time varies with each patient, some patients have been known to return to normal activities within 24 hours.
Does not limit treatment options. The balloon sinuplasty technology is an endoscopic tool and may be used with other medical therapies and surgical techniques. It does not limit future treatment options if a patient has a progressive disease.
Source: Dr. Neil E. Brown, Franciscan Skemp Healthcare
