Balloon procedure brings relief to Valley’s chronic sinus sufferers

PHOENIX — Facial pain, trouble breathing through the nose and headaches. Those are some of the symptoms for people living with chronic sinusitis.

But there’s a breakthrough procedure a Phoenix doctor is using that’s bringing much-needed relief. It’s called balloon sinuplasty.

“Somebody, in all their wisdom, decided that the same balloons that we use to open up the arteries for heart disease could also be used to open up the sinuses,” said Dr. Brian Rizzo, an ear, nose and throat surgeon at Pinnacle ENT and Allergy Consultants.

“The balloons we use for the sinuses are a little bit bigger,” he added. “But we essentially can do an in-office procedure.”

The procedure requires some anesthesia. It begins with a catheter being inserted into the sinus.

“After the catheter is inserted into the sinus, we push a little button and a balloon goes over the top of the catheter, feeds into the sinus,” Rizzo said. “Then we push another button, and it inflates the balloon.”

The balloon sinuplasty opens the blocked sinus passages, allowing patients to breathe again without painful pressure.

Rizzo said he has been using it for about a decade and has found it to be “extremely effective” for patients with mild to moderate chronic sinusitis.

“I’ve had very few people that come back after the procedure and don’t say that their headaches and their sinus pressure is better,” he said.

The procedure has become more popular over the years. Rizzo said he worries it could be overused and recommends patients consult with their doctors to see if this is the right procedure for them.

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