Balloon sinuplasty: a new concept in the endoscopic nasal surgery

• Main Authors: Nogueira Júnior, João Flávio, Silva, Maria Laura Solferini, Santos, Fábio Pires, Stamm, Aldo Cassol
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda. 2008-12-01
• Series: International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology
• Subjects: Sinusitis; Nasal mucosa; Video-assisted surgery; Paranasal sinuses
• Online Access: http://www.arquivosdeorl.org.br/conteudo/acervo_eng.asp?Id=569
• ISSN: 1809-9777; 1809-4864

Introduction: Sinus diseases affect millions of people annually. Clinical treatment is effective in most patients, but in case of failure of this therapy the functional endoscopic surgery is currently the treatment choice for surgical treatment. The objective of the functional endoscopic surgery is to increase the aeration and drainage of the involved paranasal sinuses, which allows for the adequate functioning of the nasal mucosa mucociliary clearance. However, this method still has some limitations, mainly because it removes the nasal mucosa and bone tissue, and it may lead to physiologic alterations of the nasosinusal mucosa and cicatricial fibrosis. Many of these patients could be benefited from less invasive methods, with larger nasal mucosa preservation. Since 2006, an even less invasive procedure was remarked in our specialty: the balloon dilatation of the paranasal sinus ostia. Objective: The objective of this article is to define the concept of sinuplasty, its action mechanism, and present the necessary material for the procedures performance; to describe the techniques with the equipment in a nasosinusal endoscopic surgery simulator model and review the current literature about the indications, complications, results, and follow-up of patients submitted to this procedure. Balloon sinuplasty is safe and appears to be effective in the improvement of the quality of life of patients not responsive to conventional clinical therapy. New applications and indications for this equipment should be described and researched.