LAX Leader

The treatment that you may receive at Bella Vista ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery isn't your grandparents' sinus surgery.

Physicians today use techniques such as balloon sinuplasty that are less invasive and can be performed in outpatient clinics, rather than in hospitals.

"It's been really kind of a revolutionary change in philosophy,  and we're on the forefront of being able to reestablish the natural drainage pathway without using destructive techniques," Dr. Jeffrey Feinfield of Bella Vista ENT told the LAX Leader.

The technology was actually borrowed from cardiology, the doctor explained.

"Opening the sinuses without the trauma of cutting can be done with a lot less pain and faster recovery, making the entire experience better for the patient," Feinfield said.

During the procedure, a catheter with a tiny balloon attached to it is gently inserted into the sinus cavity and slowly inflated to open the blocked passageway. It is then deflated and removed.

"Balloon sinuplasty enables us to dilate a blocked sinus," Feinfield said. "We can reestablish the proper drainage pathway."

Another treatment offered at Bella Vista ENT is called cryotherapy.

"A lot of people suffer from chronic runny nose, and it's embarrassing," Feinfield explained. "Sufferers have to keep Kleenex wherever they are. With cryotherapy, we actually identify the nerve that causes the nose to secrete, and we're able to freeze the nerve ending without causing any other destruction of nasal tissue."

A third type of treatment is called endoscopy, which is a common procedure. Doctors insert very thin and flexible instruments called endoscopes into the nose. One instrument has a small camera lens that sends images back to a screen, which enables the doctor to see where the sinuses are blocked. Doctors don’t actually cut into the skin, so the recovery is faster and easier. Endoscopy is usually done with a local anesthetic, so the patient is usually able to go home when it’s  over.

The primary purpose of sinus surgery is to reduce chronic symptoms and infections, according to WebMD. Surgery should help a patient breathe better through their nose and can also improve sense of smell or taste that has been affected by congestion.

Bella Vista offers a free online sinus quiz for potential patients to review their symptoms and decide whether they could benefit from a visit.