Sinusitis Treatment Path

What are Your Sinusitis Treatment Options?

The first line of treatment for sinusitis is medical therapy, including drugs such as antibiotics and steroids. While the specific regimen is at the discretion of the physician, extensive medical therapy typically includes:

• antibiotic therapy for at least four weeks
• trial of inhaled steroids
• nasal lavage
• allergy assessment

For some sufferers, medical therapy may fail to resolve symptoms or only provide temporary relief. This may be due to an underlying physical obstruction that drugs cannot address.ⁱ Some patients become stuck in a cycle of repeat rounds of drugs to address symptoms, which may lead to antibiotic resistance or problems with steroid use.

When medical therapy is not working, lasting, durable treatment options that can reduce dependence on drugs - such as in-office balloon sinus dilation or functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) - may be considered.

How do Office Sinus Dilation from Entellus Medical and FESS compare?

Explore the chart below to better understand office sinus dilation and FESS, durable sinusitis treatment options. Click on each row to expand and learn more.

 

Tissue remodeling

How does it work?

Tissue and bone removal

A physician's goals for FESS or an office sinus dilation procedure are similar - to expand the sinus drainage pathways, restore aeration, and promote healing of the sinus lining in order to combat sinus inflammation.

In office sinus dilation, a physician inflates a small balloon carefully placed in key sinus structures to expand and remodel sinus tissue. Tissue is not removed, but reshaped.ⁱⁱ Watch this short animation to see how it works.

In FESS, a physician traditionally uses small cutting instruments to remove tissue and bone. Structures are removed, and the sinus openings are expanded through the cutting away of tissue.

 

Procedure videos

Watch the procedure videos above to see how an office sinus procedure and FESS work.

In office sinus dilation, a physician inflates a small balloon carefully placed in key sinus structures to expand and remodel sinus tissue. Tissue is not removed, but reshaped. Watch this short animation to see how it works.

Please note - the videos we link to are meant to provide additional information on the techniques of office sinus dilation and FESS. It is not intended to imply that the patients represented suffer from an identical disease state, or that the patients featured in the FESS video were appropriate for office sinus dilation.

 

YES

Is it effective?

YES

Current clinical literature demonstrates that both FESS and office sinus dilation can be safe and effective.

A growing body of clinical literature affirms the lasting effectiveness of balloon sinus dilation.^iv One recent study tracked patients across a 24 month period, and found that on average each patient experienced a 70% improvement in their quality of life related to their sinusitis symptoms.^v In the year following an office sinus dilation procedure, patients used less antibiotics, and made far fewer visits to their doctor.^vi And their productivity at work increased significantly.^vii

For FESS, a broad range of studies have demonstrated statistically significant improvement in symptoms and quality of life following surgery.ⁱⁱⁱ

 

YES

Is it typically
performed in an office?

NO

Many patients find office procedures to be more convenient than surgical procedures performed under general anesthesia. What is it like to have an office sinus dilation procedure while awake? Listen to John share his story.

Office sinus dilation can be done under local anesthesia - on an awake patient. Some liken it to a dental procedure. A typical office sinus dilation procedure lasts less than forty-five minutes.^viii A proven local anesthesia protocol contributes to patient comfort.

FESS is usually performed in an operating room under general anesthesia, with the patient asleep. Most patients are allowed to return home the same day.

 

Can last 1 to 2 days

How long is recovery time?

Can last 1 to 2 weeks

Many patients are concerned about the amount of time it will take for them to return to normal activities following an office sinus dilation or FESS procedures. Family and work commitments are important factors in a consideration of treatment options.

A quick recovery is a key benefit of office sinus dilation. Many patients who undergo an office sinus dilation return to normal activity within 24 hours, and 90% return to normal activity within 48 hours. The chart below shows clinical data for a balloon sinus dilation study measuring recovery time.^ix

Recovery times for FESS vary, based on the extent of the procedure and the health of the patient. Most people can return to normal activities within nine to ten days following surgery. ^x

Want to learn more about what to expect after an office sinus dilation procedure? Listen to John and Inez's experiences.

 

NO

Is a follow-up nasal
debridement typically required?

YES

A nasal debridement is a procedure to remove crust and other contaminated tissue from the nasal cavity following a sinus surgery.

A nasal debridement is not typically done following an office sinus dilation. ^xi

In FESS, tissue removal can lead to crusting as the remaining tissue heals. To remove this crust or other contaminated tissue an ENT often performs a nasal debridement once or twice in the weeks following the procedure. The ENT inserts an endoscope and instruments into the nasal cavity to identify and remove the crust and tissue. Watch this video to learn more about debridement. ^xii

 

 

Comparison of insurance cost*

 

A balloon sinus dilation office procedure can cost less out of pocket than a FESS procedure in an operating room.

Why? Office based procedures can decrease insurance company costs. For example under Medicare a FESS procedure performed in an operating room can cost up to 98% more than the comparable balloon sinus procedure performed in an office.^xiii

Office Sinus Dilation procedures from Entellus are now covered by many insurance plans and Medicare. Check with your physician or payor to see if your plan covers office sinus dilation.

Most major insurance plans and Medicare cover functional endoscopic sinus surgery for appropriate patients.