Balloon Sinuplasty Los Angeles

Yes.  95% of insured patients will have this procedure approved by their insurance carrier.  Your doctor will get prior-authorization from your insurance carrier to verify your benefits.  You may be responsible, however, for any deductibles or copays.  

You will experience facial pressure, which is normal, but pain should be minimal if any. Should you experience pain at any time during the procedure, your doctor can adjust the anesthesia to maximize your comfort. A few of Socal Sinus Institute’s employees have had this procedure done and can speak to you from personal experience if you have any questions for them.  Most patients say the experience is like a dental procedure. 

No, general anesthesia is not administered.  Patients will usually be given oral, topical, and local medication as part of the anesthesia protocol.  You will be awake, similar to a dental procedure. 

No, once the balloon is in place it is dilated for a few seconds then deflated and removed.  The “doorways” to your sinuses will be permanently remodeled. 

Some patients may experience headache, nasal congestion, mild bloody drainage, and facial pressure.  This is temporary and in most cases will resolve in 1-2 days after the procedure. 

 In most cases, patients can return to work/school the very next day or the following day.  Your doctor will advise you of your limitations, if any. 

Sinus balloon dilation has been around for over a decade and there is substantial data supporting the safety and efficacy of the procedure.  Dr. Cohen is an early adopter of this technology and has been doing the procedure for 12 years; as such he serves as a training center or “Sinus Center of Excellence” for other physicians to learn how to do this procedure.  Over the last 12 years the group has done over 5000 patients in the office and has the most experience in all of LA and Ventura Counties.

A recent study showed that in-office Balloon Sinus Dilation is just as effective as traditional sinus surgery (aka Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery – FESS).  However, patients recover quicker and have less post-op side effects with an in-office balloon procedure. 

There is now sufficient data showing long term efficacy and indefinite results (beyond 3 years).  Your outcomes will typically depend on the severity of your sinus disease.  There is a very low revision rate for this procedure (less than 10%) in Dr. Cohen’s hands, which is close to the same revision rate for traditional endoscopic sinus surgery. 

No, there is no tissue removal when dilating your sinuses.  Your doctor will discuss possible removal of tissue with you only if you have structures in your nose (i.e. deviated septum, polyps, enlarged turbinates etc) that he will need to address as well to perform the procedure well and address all your issues. 

 The procedure itself usually takes under 30 minutes, however the anesthesia/prep time for the procedure usually takes around 30 minutes as well.  As such patients are usually in the office between 60-90 minutes.  

Per say, there is no ‘cure’ for sinus disease, however this procedure should greatly improve your quality of life and symptoms by decreasing the frequency and severity of future sinus infections and permanently improve your breathing.  This procedure changes your anatomy permanently, which addresses the underlying problem, rather than just treating symptoms, like with antibiotics or steroids.

Many sinus sufferers also have inflammation of the nasal and sinus passages (i.e allergies) and that will still have to be addressed at times with either rinses, nasal steroid or antihistamine sprays and / or allergy medications.  However once your anatomy is fixed so things can flow properly, medications and rinses can properly work on decreasing the inflammation.  

In most situations Dr. Cohen will ask you to stop all blood thinners like aspirin, motrin, advil, other NSAIDs, Plavix, Coumadin etc. 1 week before the procedure.   

Absolutely not since this is no more invasive than a dental procedure.   

Yes, we recommend eating a regular meal before taking your pre-procedure medications. 

Over the last decade, expert sinus surgeon, Dr. Alen Cohen, has found that patients get anxious when having an unfamiliar procedure done and as such he finds that the low dose medications he prescribes help patients relax and not be anxious during the procedure.  The doses he prescribes are very safe and patients are talking and awake through the procedure but relaxed.   

That is a 5 minute procedure where Dr. Cohen will “liposuction” the inside of your inferior turbinates to help with nasal congestion and obstruction when breathing through your nose and will further help the sinuses drain properly. 

During the first 3 days patients state that it feels like a sinus cold with a mild headache and congestion.  This resolves quickly if you are diligent with your rinses at least 3-5 times per day.  Around day 5 patients start to notice improved breathing and reduced sinus pressure and it continues to improve daily up to 30 days, during which time we suggest rinsing still at least twice a day.  Final results are seen 3-4 weeks after the procedure. 

Usually at 4 weeks most patients report to us that they wish they had done this procedure decades ago as it has significantly improved their quality of life during day and while sleeping.  Some bed partners even report that they snore less!