Balloon Sinuplasty in Foley, AL

Pediatric & Adult

What is Balloon Sinuplasty?

Balloon Sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure for treating chronic or recurrent sinusitis, a condition characterized by inflammation of the sinuses. This advanced treatment opens up blocked or narrow sinus passages to relieve sinus pain and pressure without the need for cutting. During the procedure, natural sinus openings and surrounding tissue are preserved.

Dr. Keith Kowal at ENT Centers of Excellence is the only ENT physician in the region who offers Balloon Sinuplasty in-office. He can also perform Balloon Sinuplasty as an outpatient procedure.

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Why is Balloon Sinuplasty Performed?

Patients who have chronic sinusitis that has not responded well to conservative treatments are typically good candidates for this procedure. Chronic sinusitis is defined as a sinus infection that lasts for more than 12 weeks.

Additionally, you may be considered a good candidate for ENT Balloon Sinuplasty if you have:

Persistent nasal congestion and discolored drainage from the nose
Chronic sinus headaches
Chronic sore throat with hoarseness
A history of four or more cases of acute sinusitis in one year

What are the advantages of Balloon Sinuplasty?

The Balloon Sinuplasty procedure offers a number of advantages, including:

Minimally invasive procedure that can be performed in-office

Clinically proven to be a safe and effective treatment for sinusitis

No cutting involved

Quick recovery time has you back to normal activities within several days

Can be used with other medical therapies or sinus surgery options

Does not limit future treatment options if you have a progressive disease

Allows you to break free from sinusitis symptoms and sinus medications that are not working

What does Balloon Sinuplasty Involve?

Depending on your needs, Dr. Kowal will recommend either general or local anesthetic for the Balloon Sinuplasty procedure. In many cases, the sinus procedure can be performed in-office, but some patients will need to undergo Balloon Sinuplasty as an outpatient procedure.

This FDA-approved sinus procedure involves the use of tiny balloons to open sinus blockages, similar to how angioplasty uses balloons to open blocked coronary arteries. There are four steps involved in the procedure:

A tiny balloon catheter is inserted through the nostril and into the inflamed sinus.
Once the tube is in place, the tiny balloon is slowly inflated to expand the sinus opening. This effectively opens up the sinus passage and restructures it so that the sinuses can drain more easily, but it is gentle enough that it does not harm the delicate sinus lining.
Saline solution is sprayed into the sinus cavity to help flush out built-up pus and mucus that has been trapped in the cavity.
The balloon is deflated and carefully removed, leaving the sinus passage open and able to drain properly.

Dr. Keith Kowal, a highly experienced ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist in Foley, Alabama is an expert in minimally invasive surgery, including Balloon Sinuplasty and robot-assisted surgery. If you are suffering from chronic sinusitis and other treatments have not worked for you, arrange a consultation with Dr. Kowal to learn whether Balloon Sinuplasty is the right procedure for your needs. Call 251.943.1117 now to schedule an appointment or simply fill out the form on this page.

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Inspire - a cpap alternative

The Inspire upper airway stimulation system consists of a small impulse generator implanted beneath the clavicle, a tunneled breathing sensing lead placed between the external and intercostal muscles, and a tunneled stimulation lead attached to the branch of the hypoglossal nerve that produces tongue protrusion.

When the sensing lead detects inspiration is occurring, the impulse generator sends a signal via the stimulation lead to the hypoglossal nerve, which results in slight forward displacement of the stiffened tongue. The impulse generator is similar in size and appearance to a cardiac pacemaker, and the latest version is magnetic resonance imaging compatible.

Balloon Sinuplasty

Dr. Keith Kowal at ENT Centers of Excellence is one of the only ENT physicians in the region who offers Balloon Sinuplasty in-office. They both can perform Balloon Sinuplasty as an outpatient procedure as well.

Transoral Robotic Surgery

ENT Centers of Excellence is pleased to offer a breakthrough, state-of-the-art surgery called transoral robotic surgery (TORS), a minimally invasive procedure that offers numerous benefits to patients. TORS can be used for multiple purposes, for treatment of both sleep disorders and head and neck cancers. Dr. Keith Kowal is the only board-certified provider of TORS in the region.

Lateral Pharyngoplasty

Lateral pharyngoplasty is surgery that is designed to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic snoring. The procedure involves a combination of tissue removal and tissue repositioning of the roof of the mouth (soft palate) as well as the tissues on the sides of the throat (the lateral pharyngeal tissues).

Radiofrequency Ablation (of the tongue)

Radiofrequency (RF) ablation of the base of tongue is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic snoring that may be performed if the tongue is the primary cause of OSA and snoring symptoms. The purpose of the procedure is to reduce the size of the tongue base so that the airway is clearer and less likely to cause a blockage.

Hyoid Suspension

Hyoid suspension is a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic snoring. The hyoid bone is a U-shaped bone in the neck that has attachments to muscles of the tongue as well as other muscles and soft tissues around the throat. The hyoid bone is free to move around rather than firmly anchored in position, and this mobility may cause this area to collapse and cause airway blockage during sleep. With a hyoid suspension procedure, this mobility is eliminated.