Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that produces real relief from chronic sinus issues. | Adobe Stock
Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that produces real relief from chronic sinus issues. | Adobe Stock
For patients who have a condition called chronic sinusitis, a specialist at Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers recommends that they consider a minimally invasive procedure known as a "balloon sinuplasty" to alleviate their uncomfortable symptoms.
Dr. John Ditto from Richmond Breathe Free encourages patients to consider the procedure as a way to avoid reoccurring symptoms.
"I've had patients over the years tell me (they) used to have four to five recurrent sinus infections per year. Now they're down to maybe one, maybe two, and it's something that they can manage with an antibiotic. For those with chronic sinusitis, they've had improved facial pressure, pain and less recurrent infections as well," he told the Richmond Leader.
Dr. John Ditto
| zocdoc.com
Ditto is a passionate ear, nose and throat specialist whose goal is to treat patients and get them to a full recovery.
"I can improve nasal airflow and ventilation to the perinatal nasal sinuses, by affecting the structure as well as the innate lining within the nose, which can be affected by inflammation and other disorders. That's my philosophy: to help people breathe free and to improve their nasal health," Ditto said.
Patients who have undergone the balloon sinuplasty procedure have noticed significant results.
“I felt air rushing into places where it hadn’t been before. After four weeks, I was breathing like I hadn’t in years," Richmond Breathe Free patient Lauren Zuk told the Richmond Leader.
Patients who choose to undergo an office sinuplasty, on average, need only 1.4 days of recovery, compared to 4.2 days for patients who've had surgical interventions, according to the journal The Laryngoscope. Sinusitis sufferers averaged 8.3 days homebound annually before the procedure, but after the procedure averaged only two days homebound.
Chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million Americans, 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.
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