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Balloon Sinuplasty Sinus Pressure and Infections That Keep Coming Back
A minimally invasive procedure that opens blocked sinuses with a small balloon, often in the office, with no cutting of tissue or bone. Find the practices that offer it and choose the ones you like.
FDA-Cleared
Balloon sinus dilation devices are FDA-cleared.
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What Is Balloon Sinuplasty?
Your sinuses drain through small openings. When they swell or stay blocked, mucus is trapped and pressure, congestion and infections follow. Balloon sinuplasty uses a thin, flexible tube passed through the nostril to place a small balloon in the blocked opening.
The balloon is gently inflated to widen the passage, then removed. Nothing is cut away, and many people go back to normal activities within a day or two.
Conditions It’s Used or Studied For
Chronic Sinusitis
Recurring Sinus Infections
Sinus Pressure and Headaches
Nasal Congestion That Does Not Clear
Only your physician can say whether it is right for you.
Before You Match
What to Know
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Medicine Usually Comes First
It is typically considered when sinus symptoms continue despite medical treatment. Your history matters.
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Imaging Helps Decide
A CT scan usually shows whether your blockage is the kind a balloon can open.
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Often Done in the Office
Many patients have it under local anesthesia. Ask whether it would be done in the office or an operating room.
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It Is Not for Every Sinus Problem
Large polyps or some structural issues may need a different approach. Ask what fits your anatomy.
More About Balloon Sinuplasty
Health e Match summarized this information from the sources listed below. It is general information, not medical advice.
Who Is a Candidate?
Balloon sinuplasty is considered for chronic sinusitis, symptoms lasting 12 weeks or more, and for sinus infections that keep coming back, when medicines have not controlled them. A CT scan usually confirms that the sinus openings are blocked in a way a balloon can open.
It is less suited to large nasal polyps, significant structural problems or certain fungal infections, which may need a different approach.
What to Expect
Many practices perform it in the office under local anesthesia; it can also be done in an operating room. Guided by a thin camera, a small balloon is placed in the blocked sinus opening and gently inflated to widen it, then removed. The sinus may be rinsed with saline.
The procedure typically takes about an hour, and nothing is cut away.
Recovery and Follow-Up
Most people return to normal activities within a day or two. Some congestion, drainage and mild pressure are common for several days. Saline rinses help, and a follow-up visit checks healing.
Risks and Side Effects
Possible effects include minor bleeding, infection and temporary discomfort. Symptoms may persist or return in some people. Rare but serious risks involve injury near the eye or the base of the skull.
Cost and Insurance
Many plans cover balloon sinuplasty when criteria are met, usually documented medical treatment that did not work and CT findings. Prior authorization is common. Ask whether it will be done in the office or a facility, since that can change your costs.
Choosing a Practice
Questions worth asking in your first conversation:
- Do you perform balloon sinuplasty in the office?
- Is CT imaging available on site?
- Am I a good candidate, or would another approach suit my anatomy better?
- Will you handle the insurance authorization?
Alternatives to Consider
Alternatives include continued medical treatment such as saline rinses and nasal steroid sprays, allergy treatment, traditional endoscopic sinus surgery, and biologic medicines for chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps.
Sources
Find a Practice That Offers It
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Questions
What Patients Ask
Is balloon sinuplasty FDA-cleared?
Yes. Balloon sinus dilation devices are FDA-cleared.
Does balloon sinuplasty hurt?
Most people describe pressure rather than pain, and it is usually done with local anesthesia or light sedation. Ask the practice how they manage comfort.
Is it covered by insurance?
Many plans cover it when medical criteria are met. A practice can tell you what your plan requires.
What should I list on my profile?
Your symptoms, how long you have had them, the treatments you have tried, your insurance and that you are exploring balloon sinuplasty.
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This page is general information, not medical advice, and it was last updated October 15, 2026. healthematch.com makes introductions between patients and practices in the United States. It does not provide medical care, does not enroll anyone in clinical research, and does not recommend any particular procedure or provider. Where a practice has documented a therapy’s regulatory status, it is shown exactly as documented. Are you a practice? See the balloon sinuplasty page for practices.