Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers hopes to improve the lives of people suffering from sinusitis through a procedure known as balloon sinuplasty.

Also called "balloon catheter dilation surgery," balloon sinuplasty clears blocked sinuses and was approved by the FDA in 2005, according to Healthline.

“It is a fantastic new technique because what studies have shown is that it's as effective as traditional functional endoscopic sinus surgery,” Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free said. “So I can perform a procedure for a patient and improve their recurrent sinusitis by using a minimally invasive technique, instead of taking them to the operating room under general anesthesia and performing a sinus bone and membrane destruction procedure, where you're removing things. Here I’m just opening things up, just allowing them to breathe. And now, if it doesn't work as well, you can always go back and do the other (surgery).”

Ditto said the office’s computer image guidance, paired with the patient’s anatomy, ‘adds an extra layer to performing the procedure.’ The technology allows doctors to look at patient’s net anatomy using a probe that is registered to their CT scan.

While reported complications are minimal with balloon sinuplasty, the same risks associated with other sinus surgeries apply. Many individuals are able to return to their normal everyday activities within a day or two after undergoing balloon sinuplasty.

If you think you could benefit from a visit with a doctor at Richmond Breathe Free, take their online sinus quiz.

Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers is committed to providing the best sinus and allergy relief in Central Virginia and beyond, using the most advanced, proven patient-friendly techniques available. With 29 million Americans suffering from sinusitis and 242,000 annual chronic sinusitis ER visits, our mission is to provide minimally invasive options for needed long-lasting relief so that patients can get back to living. We call this mission Breathe Free and Live Well, and it is the North Star that guides us in each unique, collaborative patient interaction. To learn more about Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Center, please visit our website.