Dr. Wayland Wong and his assistant Debbie Pittsrock from Salem Community Hospital Ear Nose and Throat Department introduced to the Austintown Rotary Club the new balloon sinuplasty therapy to treat recurrent and persistent infections of the sinus cavities. The presentation was made during last week’s Austintown Rotary meeting.
Rotarians learned that blockage of the sinus opening will cause nasal congestion, headaches, and fatigue, and when infected can become acute, with patients suffering for four or more weeks, or chronic, lasting for three months to years.
A survey is used to help define symptoms and provide information based on a patient’s experience over the past two weeks. Chronic sinusitis can happen three to four times per year and 37 million people suffer from it. It is very common. Twenty percent do not get cured from medicines and drug therapy. Before 1985, surgery was invasive and drastic and really didn’t work all that well. It took two to three weeks to recover and the packing was worse than the operation.
In 2006, balloon sinuplasty's introduction meant a minimally invasive procedure and reduced bleeding with faster recovery. Described as angioplasty of the sinus drainage tract, the overall sinus efficiency was 91.6 percent after a one-year study. After two years, tests and study have proven effective in helping patients with chronic sinusitis.
