Surgery for Sinusitis
Nobody wants to undergo surgery if they can avoid it. But if medication and other conservative treatment methods fail to bring long-term relief of your chronic sinus infection symptoms, your best bet may indeed be surgery. The goals of sinus surgery are to permanently clear blocked sinuses and restore normal sinus drainage while preserving normal anatomy and mucosal tissue.
If you’re considering sinus surgery, be sure you have a qualified and experienced ENT physician that you trust – someone like Dr. Scott W. Franklin of Georgetown ENT. As a board-certified ear, nose, and throat surgeon in Georgetown, Texas, Dr. Franklin will work with you to identify all possible treatment options before recommending surgery.
The type of surgery Dr. Franklin recommends will depend on what is causing your symptoms. For example, your surgical options may include:
Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS)
This common sinus surgery is typically performed in an outpatient surgical center, usually under general anesthesia. During functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), Dr. Franklin inserts a lighted endoscope and slender surgical instruments through the nostrils into the sinus cavity to remove small amounts of bone or soft tissue blocking a sinus opening.
In addition to treating chronic sinusitis, FESS is also the standard method of removing problematic nasal polyps.
Septoplasty
For patients with a deviated septum that is blocking a sinus passage, a septoplasty is a type of nasal surgery that can improve the flow of mucus through the sinuses, helping to end recurring sinusitis. The procedure surgically straightens the septum (the cartilage separating the nostrils). Dr. Franklin performs septoplasty in an outpatient surgery center using general anesthesia to sedate patients.
Turbinoplasty
Turbinates are small, fleshy structures inside the nose and nasal passageways that help to warm, moisturize, and filter the air you breathe. Allergies, infections, and other chronic irritations (weather, stress, hormones, certain medications, etc.) can cause the turbinates to swell and enlarge, which can lead to nasal congestion.
In many cases, the turbinates will heal and return to their usual size once they are no longer irritated. However, for some patients, surgery may be necessary if the turbinates don’t heal with conservative treatment.
A turbinoplasty reduces the size of enlarged turbinates to relieve nasal obstruction. Depending on the extent of your symptoms, Dr. Franklin can perform the procedure in our office via cauterization, coblation, or radiofrequency techniques. In more severe cases, he will perform the procedure in a surgery center while you are under general anesthesia.
If you have a deviated septum, Dr. Franklin may perform a turbinoplasty along with a septoplasty to further open up the airways.
Balloon Sinuplasty
While technically not a surgery, balloon sinuplasty is a popular minimally invasive procedure used to treat chronic sinusitis. In this procedure, Dr. Franklin threads a small, flexible balloon catheter through the nostrils into the sinuses and slowly inflates the balloon to open blocked sinus passages. No tissue or bone is cut during a balloon sinuplasty. Dr. Franklin performs the procedure in our office using local anesthesia.
Take our survey to find out if you may benefit from sinus surgery.
Sinus Infection Surgery Options near Austin, Texas
Want to know more about your surgical options for chronic sinusitis or other nasal symptoms? Call the sinus surgery professionals at Georgetown ENT in Georgetown, Texas, at (512) 869-0604 or request an appointment now.
