Advanced Sinus Treatment

Medical conditions of the nose and sinuses can drastically affect a person’s quality of life.  Fayetteville Otolaryngology is staffed by Board Certified ear, nose, throat & sinus doctors.

Our Sinus Center of Excellence believes in a comprehensive approach to managing nasal and sinus disorders.  Our surgeons are dedicated to providing the highest level of care to patients with sinus disorders offering treatment modalities that combine both medical and surgical interventions.

Fayetteville Otolaryngology offers treatments for patients suffering from the following nasal and sinus disorders:

• Acute and chronic sinusitis and its complications
• Nasal polyps and allergy
• Neoplastic Disease (tumors)
• Reconstructive problems
• Nasal septum deformities and other problems leading to nasal airway obstruction
• Sinus surgery after prior unsuccessful therapy

What are sinuses?

• Maxillary Sinus
• Ethmoid Sinus
• Frontal Sinus
• Sphenoid Sinus

Our sinuses have small openings to drain mucus.  When the sinus openings are blocked due to swelling from a cold, virus, allergies, or polyps, the sinuses retain the mucus.

What is sinusitis, and what are the symptoms?

When mucus is trapped inside the sinuses, it can become infected with bacteria.  This infection can cause pain and pressure as the mucus fills the sinuses.  This pressure causes the nose to swell, making breathing difficult and can interfere with sleep.  The mucus may also drip into the throat causing sore throat, throat clearing, coughing, and a “lump in throat” sensation, along with fatigue and fever.  In some instances, patients can even lose their sense of smell and taste.

Symptoms of sinusitis include:

• Sinus pressure
• Nasal and postnasal discharge
• Nasal congestion
• Inability to smell
• Fever
• Cough
• Phlegm in throat

What are the treatment options for sinusitis?

Medical interventions:

• Oral and nasal decongestants
• Antihistamines
• Sinus Irrigations
• Antibiotics
• Oral steroids

When these remedies fail, our physicians may determine that a sinus procedure is indicated.  A sinus CT scan should then be performed to evaluate for anatomical obstruction that can be the source for the infection.

Balloon Sinuplasty Office Procedure

Balloon Sinuplasty devices are endoscopic, catheter-based instruments that stretch open drainage pathways that are obstructed.  The outcomes have proven to provide relief from painful and nagging sinus symptoms.

Balloon Sinuplasty is a safe and effective office-based procedure for sinusitis sufferers seeking relief from recurrent infections and sinus pain/pressure.

Opening blocked sinus passageways facilitates drainage of the mucus that is trapped and results in infections and pain.  When the sinus balloon is inflated, it restructures and widens the walls of the sinus passageways, establishing permanently open drainage ports.

Fayetteville Otolaryngology is the first practice in NC to acquire the new 3-D computer image-guided system for balloon and sinus surgery procedures.

Numbing gels are utilized so no injections are necessary, most patients return to work the next day.  To date this technology has helped more than 750,000 patients by dilating more than 2 million sinus passageways.  This technology is safe and effective at providing what Fayetteville Otolaryngology’s patients need most- relief from their symptoms and an improved quality of life.

Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS)

Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery is surgery performed to remove diseased sinus mucosa and bone, thereby establishing open drainage.  FESS is typically reserved for patients who’ve tried antibiotics and/or have anatomical blockages that are not amenable to balloon sinuplasty.

The FESS procedure typically takes place in an outpatient surgical facility or at the doctor’s office.  The recovery period following FESS is about one week.