Nature Coast Times

• Almost 29 million people in the U.S. suffer from chronic sinusitis.

• Balloon sinuplasty is less invasive, carries and a lower risk and has a shorter recovery period than traditional sinus surgery.

• Average recovery time for a balloon sinuplasty patient is one to two days.

Dr. Mariah Pate | Tampa Bay Breathe Free

A low-trauma surgical procedure is available for sufferers of chronic sinusitis, a St. Petersburg-based sinus specialist said during a recent interview. Balloon sinuplasty is the answer for many sinus sufferers, Dr. Mariah Pate of Tampa Bay Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told Nature Coast Times.

"I definitely recommend a procedure like sinus dilation or sinuplasty," Pate said. "It is a quick and minimally invasive way to help people breathe better quicker."

Balloon sinuplasty also doesn't require surgery in a hospital setting.

"The procedure is done in the office under local anesthesia, and you're usually in and out within an hour," Pate said. "Most patients recover within about a day or two, and then they go back to work and live a normal life. It is a great procedure because it augments the natural anatomy and opens things up so you can breathe better."

Pate is a surgeon and clinician expertly trained in all areas of the ear, nose and throat specialty, with a focus in sinus treatment areas that include in-office sinus solutions, facial aesthetics, swallowing and voice, thyroid diseases and hearing loss.

Tampa Bay Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers is located on 54th Avenue North in St. Petersburg.

Chronic sinusitis is far from a rare condition in the U.S. The ailment affects 28.9 million American adults, 11% of the adult population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic sinusitis also is responsible for 4.1 million doctor visits and more than 230,000 emergency room visits each year.

Chronic sinusitis is one of the most common chronic medical conditions in the U.S. and often has a negative effect on quality of life, according to a National Center for Biotechnology Information study first published in 2015. The study compared patients who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery with patients who opted for a balloon sinuplasty to treat their chronic sinusitis.

The study found that although both procedures are effective, balloon sinuplasty patients needed fewer antibiotic treatments after their procedures than did patients in the other group. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) requires removal of sinus tissue, while balloon sinuplasty relies on dilation to improve sinus function and doesn't require the removal any tissue, which makes it less traumatic.

A balloon sinuplasty procedure lasts about 10 to 15 minutes and patients typically recover within one to two days, according to Dr. Bradley Eisemann of Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center. Most patients resume their normal activities in that same short time period, though they may experience some swelling for up to a week. By contrast, FESS procedures can take up to two hours and patients might need up to four weeks to fully recover. FESS patients should avoid strenuous activities, such as exercising, during that time.

If you're interested in learning more about diagnosis or treatment of chronic sinusitis, please take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.