Because sinusitis can usually be cured by over the counter medicines, it is not usually considered a serious condition. However, when your body does not respond to the antibiotics, antihistamines, or decongestants, sinus surgery will be required.
The typical sinus surgery involves a removing dead sinus tissue and or enlarging the sinus passage. Normally this is enough to create a pathway for the nasal passage to drain properly removing the nasal infection.
There are two main types of sinus surgeries that are considered with one that is reserved if either of the two don’t work for one reason or another. The first is called functional endoscopic sinus surgery or FESS for short. During FESS, endoscopes are used to remove dead tissue that is blocking the drainage of an infection.
An alternative type of sinus surgery is relatively new and promises faster times in both operation and recovery. Known as balloon sinuplasty, this type of sinus surgery requires the insertion of a deflated balloon (designed specifically for this purpose), into the nasal passage. The balloon is guided the the obstructed portion of the sinus cavity and inflated once it reaches its destination. Because the sinus passage holds its shape once the balloon in inflated to its appropriate size, balloon sinuplasty has proven to be an affective way to treating sinusitis.
Sometimes however, when neither FESS or balloon sinuplasty fail, a more invasive form of sinus surgery may be required. Known as the Caldwell-Luc Method, this form of surgery is performed by making an incision into the upper gum area of the mouth. From this incision dead sinus tissue is removed and adequate drainage of the infection is accomplished.
Once painful and very costly, sinus surgeries have improved due to technological advancement bringing down both the recovery time and the costs involves. If medicines do not alleviate your sinusitis, you may have no choice but to obtain sinuplasty.
If money is the problem, these kinds of operations are usually covered by your health insurance so you have nothing to be worried about. So what are you waiting for? Go to your doctor and get rid of sinusitis once and for all.
Dr. Wilson is a Dallas nasal surgery plastic surgeon. He has been practicing for over 15 years and serves patients from all over the world.
