Balloon Up The Nose | Dr Stephen Lee | Raffles Hospital Singapore

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We have all had our share of seasonal colds and nose congestions that last a few days or maybe even a week. However, for some people these are regular and persistent conditions, with the more severe cases lasting for years. To make matters worse, unless a doctor suspects something sinister and orders more detailed examinations, the patient could be treated for nothing more than a common cold or mild sinusitis (inflammation of the sinus lining). Dr. Stephen Lee, Specialist in Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery at Raffles ENT Centre explains, “Many patients simply have sinus issues, but sometimes besides a narrowed sinus, they could have a deviated nasal septum (cartilage and bony wall separating the nostrils), either from birth or due to an accident. In such situations, airways may be obstructed causing pressure symptoms and headaches that never seem to go away.” If symptoms do not respond to nasal sprays, antibiotics or steroids, and continue beyond three months, sinus surgery is usually recommended. Patients can undergo conventional surgery, where a telescope is introduced into the nasal passageways and cutting instruments are used to create pathways. This is achieved by removing swollen tissues away from areas surrounding the sinuses. Balloon Sinuplasty Procedure The other technique is a relatively new procedure known as balloon sinuplasty. Employing technology garnered from the principle of cardiac balloon angioplasty, this technique involves putting a wire through a guide catheter (tubing) into the narrowed sinus pathway. Dr. Lee elaborates, “We then push a small deflated balloon to that narrowed point, and pump it until it becomes rigid and firm, thus opening up that area to restore normal sinus drainage and function. The four-year old procedure takes less than an hour, and does not at all compromise the integrity of the sinus lining.” Dr. Lee has operated on more than a 100 patients utilising this balloon sinuplasty technique, and he continues to train ENT surgeons from the Asian region on this method. “What is great about this technique is that it’s not traumatic, in the sense that there is little bleeding and patients regain full ability to breathe after surgery. Downtime is short and patients can get back to work very quickly.” Although recovery time varies with each patient, many have been able to return to normal activity within 24 hours of the surgery. To date, more than 30,000 people have had this procedure done and no known complications have been reported. Even though FESS (Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery) is still considered a safe and reliable procedure, balloon sinuplasty remains a viable option to such conventional sinus surgery.

We have all had our share of seasonal colds and nose congestions that last a few days or maybe even a week. However, for some people these are regular and persistent conditions, with the more severe cases lasting for years.

To make matters worse, unless a doctor suspects something sinister and orders more detailed examinations, the patient could be treated for nothing more than a common cold or mild sinusitis (inflammation of the sinus lining).

Dr. Stephen Lee, Specialist in Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery at Raffles ENT Centre explains, “Many patients simply have sinus issues, but sometimes besides a narrowed sinus, they could have a deviated nasal septum (cartilage and bony wall separating the nostrils), either from birth or due to an accident. In such situations, airways may be obstructed causing pressure symptoms and headaches that never seem to go away.”

If symptoms do not respond to nasal sprays, antibiotics or steroids, and continue beyond three months, sinus surgery is usually recommended. Patients can undergo conventional surgery, where a telescope is introduced into the nasal passageways and cutting instruments are used to create pathways. This is achieved by removing swollen tissues away from areas surrounding the sinuses.

Balloon Sinuplasty Procedure

The other technique is a relatively new procedure known as balloon sinuplasty. Employing technology garnered from the principle of cardiac balloon angioplasty, this technique involves putting a wire through a guide catheter (tubing) into the narrowed sinus pathway.

Dr. Lee elaborates, “We then push a small deflated balloon to that narrowed point, and pump it until it becomes rigid and firm, thus opening up that area to restore normal sinus drainage and function. The four-year old procedure takes less than an hour, and does not at all compromise the integrity of the sinus lining.”

Dr. Lee has operated on more than a 100 patients utilising this balloon sinuplasty technique, and he continues to train ENT surgeons from the Asian region on this method. “What is great about this technique is that it’s not traumatic, in the sense that there is little bleeding and patients regain full ability to breathe after surgery. Downtime is short and patients can get back to work very quickly.”

Although recovery time varies with each patient, many have been able to return to normal activity within 24 hours of the surgery. To date, more than 30,000 people have had this procedure done and no known complications have been reported.

Even though FESS (Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery) is still considered a safe and reliable procedure, balloon sinuplasty remains a viable option to such conventional sinus surgery.