Balloon sinuplasty anyone?

[Sandragood1]

Anyone done this? I am thinking about it for myself to help with chronic inflammation and congestion. I'm curious about cost and healing time as well as how long the results lasted.

 

Thanks.

[Katy]

I haven't but my mom did, maybe 8 years ago.  This was quite a while ago, so take this with a grain of salt.  Some things may have changed since then.

 

She's going back in the spring to have it fixed again with a laser.  Her new surgeon said the balloon procedure only lasts a few years, and claimed the laser procedure lasts longer.  He can see from her imaging records that she's now worse than she was prior to the first surgery.

 

Let's see.  She had it at an outpatient surgery center.  I think she scheduled it just before a holiday weekend so she'd have 3 or 4 days to recover after surgery.  She only missed work on the day of surgery.  I don't recall if she was put all the way under or it was just twilight.  She was very loopy afterwards, but she's always loopy on medication.  I think I sat with her in a waiting area for a few hours before they said she could go home. I don't know if they let he go early because I would be there with her or not (nursing background), they did have me sign some forms that I understood under which complications I should call for and/or just take her straight to the ER.

 

It was a snowy day and they had me wait 15 minutes until the car was completely warm and snow was cleared before they let her get in it.  She needed help getting into the SUV, but she could walk with my just holding her hand and elbow by the time we got her back to her house (about a 45 minute drive away, maybe an hour with the weather that day).

 

She slept at night in a recliner.  I think I took her back the next day to have the dressings unpacked.  She immediately could breath better, even still being swollen.   She didn't complain of breathing issues for maybe 2-3 years afterwards. It was less than 4 years before she started getting dependent on Afrin to breath at night with her spring allergies. She always goes through 6-8 weeks of needing Afrin, then needs a course of prednisone to get off the Afrin when spring allergies fade.

[Sandragood1]

Thank you, Katy. That gives me some good information about questions to ask as well as cost/benefit.

 

My dad had traditional sinus surgery twenty years ago and claims the pain and suffering were not worth the results. So I've been looking for options. I also prefer minor procedures. But I really need to be able to breathe normally at night.