Symptoms:
Patients with chronic sinusitis may have any combinations of the following symptoms for more than three months: Postnasal drip, congestion, coughs, facial pain, facial pressure, headache, loss of sense of smell, chronic fatigue, ears pressure, dizziness. You may have recurrent acute sinus infection requiring multiple courses of antibiotics. You may have history of chronic inhalant allergy.
The Workup:
Dr. Nguyen will conduct a detail history and physical examination. The examination may include a nasal endoscopy, in which a scope is used to examine the posterior nasal cavity. If indicated, a Ctscan of the sinuses will be performed in the office. Our office is equipped with the latest Xoran Ctscan machine, which provides the best imaging of the sinuses with only 10% of radiation of a traditional machine. Thus, our office is able to provide a quick diagnosis with the minimum discomfort and hazard to the patients.
The Procedure:
The Balloon Sinuplasty is performed under local anesthesia with the patients fully awake, similar to a dental procedure. Dr. Nguyen uses a combination of oral, topical, and injectable anesthetics to ensure maximal comfort during the procedure. If there are nasal polyps, they are removed at the same time as the balloon sinuplasty. Our office utilizes Acclarent Balloons, which are the best device in the market to find and dilate all the sinuses. Acclarent Balloons cost on average 30%-50% more than other inferior balloons, though the additional cost is not passed onto the patients.
The Follow-Ups:
After the procedure, patients will be followed up carefully. If the patients have a history of inhalation allergy, the patients will have an allergy test and subsequent treatment to ensure longterm success.