Like, I would wake up every morning and kind of really slowly open my eyes and wonder if it was going to be a good day or if it was going to be a bad day. I actually was super-apprehensive about moving to the city in the first place because of my symptoms. For the first three years of living here it was a huge struggle. I mean, any time I would go on the subway — just the pollution and the dirt and the lack of oxygen — I immediately would feel myself getting more and more congested.

Because my sinus pressure would always lead to headaches I was told that maybe I had tension migraines, maybe I had allergies, maybe I had just some sort of chronic sinus infection.
So for a really long time I would use nose sprays because that was the only thing that would somewhat alleviate the symptoms, although it wouldn’t make it go away. And I got a lot of sinus infections, so I would, from time to time, take antibiotics for that.

I feel like I’ve had a lot of moments over the years where I have either thought to myself or said out loud, “I will do anything — I will do absolutely anything — to not feel this way for one more second.”
So I heard about the Balloon Sinuplasty™ procedure and just got really excited because it sounded like exactly what I wanted. And I always had said if I could just open it up and, like, take all the stuff out of my sinuses, just drain my face, that would make me feel so much better. So I talked to Dr. Silvers about the procedure. And I was really excited about the idea of having a solution.

As far as the procedure goes, it’s really fast. I was done within a half hour. It doesn’t hurt at all. It’s just a moderate pressure, which in no way compares to the pressure that I was feeling on a regular basis.

Since the Balloon Sinuplasty I feel amazing. I think I actually didn’t know how good I could feel until now, because it’s actually been so long that I’ve had these symptoms that I’ve forgot what it was like to just feel normal. So I can breathe much better. I sleep much better. I wake up more well-rested, even when I get less sleep somehow.

I really like to run, to work out. And now I’m able to do those things until my body gets tired, as opposed to feeling limited by not being able to breathe. I just feel so much better. I have so much more energy. And it’s so fun to feel like I’m just me again.

Note: Results may vary.

I was trying just about anything, all kinds of homeopathic remedies and teas. I literally tried it all. I tried a hyperbaric chamber to see if I could get more oxygen by sleeping in one of those things. None of it worked.

It’s crazy that it was such a simple procedure to get done, to fix something that I struggled with for a long time.

After surgery, there was not a lot of recovery time, and when I think about how I feel now and how I’m capable of breathing, it was an easy decision.

I tell others that Balloon Sinuplasty™ is a must!

Note: Results may vary.

Now, I wake up in the morning and do normal things like everyone else does. I make my morning coffee, eat and drink whatever I want to, and only take Clarinex® during allergy season. If I forget to take it, it’s no big deal. I don’t have to worry about anything, and I feel like a regular person!

I experienced immediate results after surgery with Balloon Sinuplasty Technology, in the recovery room. I didn’t have the sinus headache and pressure I normally had, and I could breathe through both nostrils. It’s been five months since the procedure, and it’s hard for me to remember when I had the surgery, because I didn’t have any pain or recovery to go through.

My life has improved 100%. I can golf on a windy day and travel to an out-of-town destination without worrying about pollen counts, or if I have all my medications and sinus care items.

Because I had so much more energy after the surgery with Balloon Sinuplasty Technology, my husband thought I was going through a mid-life crisis! I told him it was because I can breathe!

Note: Results may vary.

There’s no comparison between conventional sinus surgery and surgery with Balloon Sinuplasty Technology. I had conventional sinus surgery about a year prior to undergoing treatment with Balloon Sinuplasty Technology. I was left with packing in both nostrils for a week, pain, headaches, and required daily irrigations. I had weekly follow-up visits to the doctor’s office for a month, where I experienced the discomfort of having nasal packing removed and re-packed. I was also out of work for three weeks.

With the Balloon Sinuplasty Technology, I had the surgery on a Friday morning and was back to work on the following Tuesday. My down time was minimal, and I only had one post-op visit to the doctor. I required no nasal packing, no pain medication, and experienced no headaches, swelling or bruising following the surgery with Balloon Sinuplasty Technology. With my responsibilities on the job as an operating room nurse manager, I was thrilled to be back at work so soon after the procedure!

To this day, I share with friends and family my experience with Balloon Sinuplasty Technology, and I’ve encouraged those in need of sinus surgery to explore this option with their healthcare provider. I’m glad I did!

Note: Results may vary.

I had five previous sinus surgeries before surgery with Balloon Sinuplasty™ Technology. After these prior surgeries, my face was bruised, I had a lot of bleeding, and I was in a lot of pain. I probably missed several weeks of work over the years due to these surgeries. It was frustrating to have surgery after surgery and not feel like I had remedied the problem.

In contrast, right after surgery with Balloon Sinuplasty Technology, when I woke up I felt great. I didn’t feel any pressure, aching pain, or a headache. When I walked out of the building an hour or two after my surgery to go home, I could smell that there was a fire close by! I was amazed at how quickly after the surgery I was able to breathe. I also looked perfectly normal.

It’s been a year and a half since the procedure, and I have felt awesome! I haven’t had lingering sinus infections like before, I don’t have the constant sinus pressure and headaches, and I can sleep at night.

Note: Results may vary.

When I was having problems with sinusitis, I would feel embarrassed, because my patients were seeing me to get better, not to get sick. I didn’t feel like going out at night – if there was any way to get out of a social engagement, I probably would. Finally, I have five young grandsons, and I wasn’t always in the right frame of mind to spend time with them.

On the day after surgery with Balloon Sinuplasty™ Technology, I felt like a million bucks! Not only was the surgery quite effective, but I wasn’t out of commission at all. I could have gone back to work within 24 hours. It was really quite a positive experience.

It’s been a year since surgery with Balloon Sinuplasty Technology, and I’ve felt much better. Now, when I do my sinus rinses, I actually get material coming out of my sinuses, and the fluid stays in the sinuses over a five-minute period, which indicates that my sinuses are staying open.

Since the surgery with Balloon Sinuplasty Technology, I have energy to work a full day and go out at night. It’s made a tremendous difference in how I approach my life. As for my patients who are suffering from chronic sinusitis, aren’t responding to medical therapy, and have the blockage like I had – I don’t hesitate to recommend surgery with Balloon Sinuplasty Technology.

Note: Results may vary.

Another result of my sinusitis was a complete loss of smell or taste – those two senses were completely gone.

In the past 7 months since surgery with Balloon Sinuplasty Technology, my breathing has been 100% better. I am actually able to close my mouth and breathe at the same time, which I was never able to do. I can speak on the phone with much more clarity, and don’t have to limit my phone usage like I used to. It’s also nice to sit down to a meal and enjoy the smell and taste of my food.

Surgery with Balloon Sinuplasty Technology was the only option I could see for myself. I don’t like to take medications, so the prospect of taking medication for the rest of my life was unappealing. I tried acupuncture and herbal medicine, which helped, but it didn’t address my sinusitis on an ongoing basis.

My life has changed dramatically. The entire process of surgery with Balloon Sinuplasty was very short, pain-free, and I’d recommend it to anyone.

Note: Results may vary.

Dr. Stacey Silvers, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist at Beth Israel Medical Hospital in New York, talks about chronic sinusitis, a painful condition that can significantly impact one’s quality of life, and the minimally invasive procedure called Balloon Sinuplasty that is bringing relief to more than 150,000 patients nationwide. She has been named among America’s Top Physicians in 2007 and 2005 and among America’s Top Surgeons in 2006, 2004 and 2003 in both Facial Plastic Surgery and Otolaryngology.

Q: What is chronic sinusitis and what symptoms do chronic sinusitis sufferers experience?

Dr. Silvers:

Chronic sinusitis is when the sinuses don’t function properly. And the normal function of the sinuses is to produce mucus, to warm the air, to filter the air, and to moisten the air. If the linings of the sinuses get swollen or congested because the mucus that they naturally make doesn’t get out and the air doesn’t get in, patients suffer with persistent daily symptoms, which may include facial pressure, headache, congestion, postnasal drip, and chronic fatigue.

Q: What should patients do when they suffer with ongoing symptoms that won’t go away?

Dr. Silvers:

…For chronic sinusitis, initially patients will go on natural sinus washes, prescription nasal sprays, sometimes allergy medication when it’s clinically indicated. When these simple, conservative medical managements fail, we then need to take the next step. And the next step is getting the doors of the sinuses open, so they function and they breathe normally. One amazing way to do that is something called Balloon Sinuplasty.

Q: How does the Balloon Sinuplasty procedure work?

Dr. Silvers:

A good comparison of what Balloon Sinuplasty accomplishes for the sinuses is angioplasty for the heart. Angioplasty for the heart just opens the blood vessels so there’s better blood flow to the heart. Balloon Sinuplasty opens the sinuses so there’s more air getting into the sinuses and the natural mucus that we make gets out of the sinuses. And, therefore, patients have less sinus pressure, less sinus headaches, less postnasal drip, better breathing, and less fatigue.

Q: How do physicians actually perform Balloon Sinuplasty?

Dr. Silvers:

Balloon Sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure, where we simply pass a balloon through the nose into the door of the sinus. We then inflate the balloon. This acts to widen the door of the sinus. The sinus will now function better, whereas air can get in and the mucus can get out, and patients’ sinus symptoms are markedly improved.

Q: Can Balloon Sinuplasty be performed in an office setting?

Dr. Silvers:

One big advantage of Balloon Sinuplasty is it can be done awake, in the office, under local anesthesia. Many patients — the one thing they fear about surgery is being put to sleep. So I think it’s very comforting for patients to know that this is something that they can do in the office awake to fix the chronic problems that they’ve had for years.

Q: Does Balloon Sinuplasty alleviate symptoms for those who undergo this procedure?

Dr. Silvers:

The advantage of Balloon Sinuplasty is unlike a lot of prescription medications or over-the-counter medications, which have temporary fixes to chronic sinus symptoms, Balloon Sinuplasty, in many patients, can be a permanent fix to their chronic sinus problems.

Q: When compared with traditional sinus surgery which is more invasive, what does Balloon Sinuplasty mean for patients?

Dr. Silvers:

Traditional sinus surgery involves cutting at the doors of the sinuses. This can potentially lead to bleeding postoperatively, pain postoperatively, and oftentimes patients will take more time off of work. Cutting around the doors of the sinuses can also lead to scarring, and a year or a couple years after the procedure, patients can start developing sinus problems again. The advantage of Balloon Sinuplasty, which is a minimally invasive procedure, it can be done awake, under local anesthesia… and for a physician to be able to change and improve the quality of patients’ lives with such a minimally invasive simple procedure that we can do in the office is really remarkable.