Williamsburg Sun

• Almost 29 million people in the U.S. suffer from chronic sinusitis.

• Balloon sinuplasty is less invasive, carries and a lower risk and has a shorter recovery period than traditional sinus surgery.

• Average recovery time for a balloon sinuplasty patient is one to two days.

Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers says balloon sinuplasty is a quick and minimally invasive procedure, especially compared with older methods of addressing sinus problems.

Chronic sinusitis impacts 28.9 million American adults, or 11% of the adult population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Chronic sinusitis is responsible for 4.1 million doctor visits and more than 230,000 emergency room visits each year.

"Balloon sinuplasty is a fantastic new technique, because studies have shown that it's as effective as traditional functional endoscopic sinus surgery," Ditto told the Williamsburg Sun. "So I can perform a procedure for a patient and improve their recurrent sinusitis by using a minimally invasive technique to improve them instead of taking them to the operating room under general anesthesia and performing a sinus, bone and membrane destruction procedure where you're removing things."

Chronic sinusitis is one of the most common chronic medical conditions among Americans, and it can have a negative effect on quality of life, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The NCBI issued a study contrasting patients who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) with patients who opted for a balloon sinuplasty to treat chronic sinusitis.

The organization found that, although both procedures are effective, balloon sinuplasty patients needed fewer antibiotic treatment after their procedures. FESS involves removing sinus tissue, while balloon sinuplasty is "less traumatic" because there isn't any removal of tissue, and it instead relies on dilation to improve sinus function.

A balloon sinuplasty procedure is completed within 10 to 15 minutes, and patients usually recover within one to two days. Most patients can carry out their normal activities in that time period, although they may experience some swelling for up to a week. FESS procedures take one and a half to two hours, and patients might need up to four weeks to fully recover, during which time they should avoid strenuous activities such as exercising.

If you're interested in learning more about diagnosis or treatment for chronic sinusitis, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.