Balloon sinus surgery very successful so far

[Guest guest]

Over 1000 patients followed 40 weeks, the revision rate of Acclarent's balloon

sinus

surgery was barely 1.3%. This article does not mention the radiation

side-effects (the most

crucial part of the surgery has to be done under fluoroscopy, which subjects

patients to an

amount of radiation equivalent to a couple of CAT scans - I don't remember the

exact

number).

-----

Multicenter Registry of Balloon Catheter Sinusotomy Outcomes for 1,036 Patients

Authors: L. Levine, MD; P. Sertich II, MD; R.

Hoisington, DO;

L. Weiss, MD; Jordan Pritikin, MD; for the PatiENT Registry Study Group

Objectives: This study assesses the safety and effectiveness of balloon

catheters used as

instruments in sinus surgery in a " real-world " multicenter registry of 1,036

patients across

27 US otolaryngology practices.

Methods: Data were collected by standardized chart review with centralized

database

administration for all consecutive functional endoscopic sinus surgeries that

included the

use of balloon catheters across the 18-month time period from December 2005 to

May

2007.

Results: Balloon catheters were used in 3,276 peripheral (maxillary, frontal,

and sphenoid)

sinuses, for an average of 3.2 sinuses per patient. There were no major adverse

events

related to the use of balloon catheter instruments. The revision rate was 1.3%

of sinuses

treated with a balloon catheter after an average follow-up of 40.2 weeks. Sinus

symptoms

were improved in 95.2%, unchanged in 3.8%, and worse in 1.0% of patients.

Postoperative

sinus infections were significantly less frequent and less severe compared to

infections

before surgery. The results were consistent across all patient categories,

including

balloon-only patients and revision patients.

Conclusions: Use of balloon catheters as instruments in sinus surgery appears to

be

relatively safe and effective and to improve the patient's quality of life. The

results are

consistent and generalizable across a wide range of sinusitis patients and

physician

practices. The complication rates, revision rates, and patient symptom

improvement rates

all compare favorably with previously reported results of functional endoscopic

sinus

surgery.

(Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2008;117:263-270.)

[Guest guest]

What does this have to do with nasal polyps? Can this balloon

surgery be used with nasal polyps? I just read an article about it

recently with drawings, and from the pictures it did not look like it

would help for polypectomy whatsoever.

Lori

>

> Over 1000 patients followed 40 weeks, the revision rate of

Acclarent's balloon sinus

> surgery was barely 1.3%. This article does not mention the

radiation side-effects (the most

> crucial part of the surgery has to be done under fluoroscopy, which

subjects patients to an

> amount of radiation equivalent to a couple of CAT scans - I don't

remember the exact

> number).

>

> -----

>

> Multicenter Registry of Balloon Catheter Sinusotomy Outcomes for

1,036 Patients

> Authors: L. Levine, MD; P. Sertich II, MD;

R. Hoisington, DO;

> L. Weiss, MD; Jordan Pritikin, MD; for the PatiENT Registry

Study Group

>

> Objectives: This study assesses the safety and effectiveness of

balloon catheters used as

> instruments in sinus surgery in a " real-world " multicenter registry

of 1,036 patients across

> 27 US otolaryngology practices.

>

> Methods: Data were collected by standardized chart review with

centralized database

> administration for all consecutive functional endoscopic sinus

surgeries that included the

> use of balloon catheters across the 18-month time period from

December 2005 to May

> 2007.

>

> Results: Balloon catheters were used in 3,276 peripheral

(maxillary, frontal, and sphenoid)

> sinuses, for an average of 3.2 sinuses per patient. There were no

major adverse events

> related to the use of balloon catheter instruments. The revision

rate was 1.3% of sinuses

> treated with a balloon catheter after an average follow-up of 40.2

weeks. Sinus symptoms

> were improved in 95.2%, unchanged in 3.8%, and worse in 1.0% of

patients. Postoperative

> sinus infections were significantly less frequent and less severe

compared to infections

> before surgery. The results were consistent across all patient

categories, including

> balloon-only patients and revision patients.

>

> Conclusions: Use of balloon catheters as instruments in sinus

surgery appears to be

> relatively safe and effective and to improve the patient's quality

of life. The results are

> consistent and generalizable across a wide range of sinusitis

patients and physician

> practices. The complication rates, revision rates, and patient

symptom improvement rates

> all compare favorably with previously reported results of

functional endoscopic sinus

> surgery.

>

> (Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2008;117:263-270.)

>

[Guest guest]

Balloon surgery is supposed to achieve the same results as FESS with less

trauma, because

it involves inflating a balloon in the ostia, instead of cutting them up with an

endoscopic

scissor - the mucosa is supposed to heal faster and better. It cannot clear out

the

ethmoids since it cannot cut tissue, and is of no use on polyps.

There are some videos showing how it is done. One concern has been radiation

exposure

(fluoroscopy is used briefly to check where the balloon really is before

inflating it).

http://www.acclarent.com/professional/balloon.html

> >

> > Over 1000 patients followed 40 weeks, the revision rate of

> Acclarent's balloon sinus

> > surgery was barely 1.3%. This article does not mention the

> radiation side-effects (the most

> > crucial part of the surgery has to be done under fluoroscopy, which

> subjects patients to an

> > amount of radiation equivalent to a couple of CAT scans - I don't

> remember the exact

> > number).

> >

> > -----

> >

> > Multicenter Registry of Balloon Catheter Sinusotomy Outcomes for

> 1,036 Patients

> > Authors: L. Levine, MD; P. Sertich II, MD;

> R. Hoisington, DO;

> > L. Weiss, MD; Jordan Pritikin, MD; for the PatiENT Registry

> Study Group

> >

> > Objectives: This study assesses the safety and effectiveness of

> balloon catheters used as

> > instruments in sinus surgery in a " real-world " multicenter registry

> of 1,036 patients across

> > 27 US otolaryngology practices.

> >

> > Methods: Data were collected by standardized chart review with

> centralized database

> > administration for all consecutive functional endoscopic sinus

> surgeries that included the

> > use of balloon catheters across the 18-month time period from

> December 2005 to May

> > 2007.

> >

> > Results: Balloon catheters were used in 3,276 peripheral

> (maxillary, frontal, and sphenoid)

> > sinuses, for an average of 3.2 sinuses per patient. There were no

> major adverse events

> > related to the use of balloon catheter instruments. The revision

> rate was 1.3% of sinuses

> > treated with a balloon catheter after an average follow-up of 40.2

> weeks. Sinus symptoms

> > were improved in 95.2%, unchanged in 3.8%, and worse in 1.0% of

> patients. Postoperative

> > sinus infections were significantly less frequent and less severe

> compared to infections

> > before surgery. The results were consistent across all patient

> categories, including

> > balloon-only patients and revision patients.

> >

> > Conclusions: Use of balloon catheters as instruments in sinus

> surgery appears to be

> > relatively safe and effective and to improve the patient's quality

> of life. The results are

> > consistent and generalizable across a wide range of sinusitis

> patients and physician

> > practices. The complication rates, revision rates, and patient

> symptom improvement rates

> > all compare favorably with previously reported results of

> functional endoscopic sinus

> > surgery.

> >

> > (Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2008;117:263-270.)

> >

>