Is Sinus Balloon Surgery Painful?
Sinus surgery has evolved immensely over the past few centuries. From methods that involved making incisions on the face and accessing the sinuses through the mouth, eventually, the idea of entering through the nose gained traction. This led to endoscopic sinus surgery and other variations of traditional sinus surgery seen today. One of the newest evolutions is balloon sinuplasty. Dr. David Santos explores the question, “Is sinus balloon surgery painful?”
Generally, balloon sinus surgery is performed under either general or local anesthesia. If under general anesthesia, you should not feel anything. Even after surgery, the pain is fairly minimal. With local anesthesia, you may feel some movement and pressure, but no pain. Since no incisions are made with balloon sinuplasty, it is considered one of the least invasive options for sinus surgery.
Patients tend to feel the most pressure when inflating the balloon. This is brief and then when the sinuses are rinsed and drained, the patient will likely feel relief. The sinuses are often wider than before surgery, even after the balloon is removed. Overall, the procedure is fairly quick and painless, especially when compared with other sinus surgeries.
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