Health Matters Sinus infection sufferers now have better options
Mindy Francis had enough to deal with in the mornings, getting her young son off to his Naperville school and preparing herself for a busy day in public finance.
What she didn't need was yet another throbbing sinus headache.
A couple of years ago, she could go five or six weeks between sinus infections, also known as sinusitis. But by 2008, Francis' allergies were triggering one sinus infection after another, from August through May. As a result, she was taking antibiotics every three to four weeks, in addition to following her allergy regimen, including shots.
When a patient with chronic sinusitis has tried medication for months with little success, the doctor usually orders a CT scan to detect blockage in the sinus cavities. Blocked sinuses can fill with bacteria, viruses and fungi, causing chronic sinusitis.
Symptoms may include a stuffy nose, fatigue, head and facial pain, and loss of smell. Bouts can be triggered by allergies, respiratory infections or trauma, such as a broken nose. Traditionally, such blockages were removed by cutting away tissue and bone from the lining of the sinuses.
Because Francis' problem had not responded to medication, her primary care physician suggested she see Dr. Leonard Piazza, a specialist with Naperville Ear, Nose and Throat Associates.
"Dr. Piazza was very candid about my options," Francis said. "I could have traditional surgery, or a newer, less-invasive technique called sinuplasty."
Francis agreed to Piazza's recommendation, a type of sinuplasty used only for blockage of the sinuses located behind the cheek bones and eyes. In this procedure, the endoscope for viewing the sinuses and a balloon catheter are inserted through a small puncture in the gum and on to the sinus cavity. Once there, the balloon is gradually inflated to gently restructure the blocked sinus openings so the sinuses can drain. This procedure results in little pain and bleeding, and a quick recovery.
Piazza also performs another type of sinuplasty, in which the balloon is threaded through a guide wire that's directed through the nose and into the sinus cavity.
Like the procedure Francis had, sinuplasty through the nose results in quicker recovery compared to traditional surgery, as well as less pain and less bleeding (with no need to pack the nose). Surgeons also can perform this type of sinuplasty on the frontal sinuses, a less-risky procedure than cutting in this delicate area, which is close to the brain and optic nerve.
Edward Hospital was one of the first area hospitals to offer sinuplasty, and Piazza was one of the first area ENTs to be trained in the state-of-the-art technique.
He said his late father, Naperville surgeon Sal Piazza, would say, "Medicine is always changing, and you have to stay on top of the latest and greatest."
Francis had her procedure in June. "It was amazing," she said. "I didn't realize how bad the blockage was until after the procedure. Now, my sinuses are draining properly, and I'm breathing without any congestion."
And thanks to her surgery, when the fall allergy season arrived this year, her sinusitis didn't.
-- Submitted by Edward Hospital
