PHX Reporter

Those who suffer from chronic sinusitis may finally find relief with an option called the "Smart Sinus Procedure," which is also known as balloon sinuplasty.

Chronic sinusitis is having recurring sinus infections persisting three months or longer, according to Mayo Clinic. There are several different causes of sinusitis, and it's important to see a doctor if your condition persists.

During the balloon sinuplasty procedure, a doctor inserts a thin balloon and inflates it to help relieve pressure and buildup, according to AlfPlus Medicals.

"This procedure is great because it not only replaces the traditional kind of Roto-Rooter sinus surgery that traditionally has been done for the past 30 years," Dr. Brian Lee at Scottsdale Sinus & Allergy Center told PHX Reporter. "It allows us to intervene earlier in the disease process, meaning that there may be some people with very mild or minimal sinus disease, which still really affects our quality of life."

According to the American Journal of Rhinology,  91% of patients who've undergone a balloon sinus procedure would do so  again, but only 49% of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (traditional  sinus surgery) patients would choose to have the procedure again.

"It's a tool that we can use to help to permanently open up the sinuses, that allows the sinuses to drain and allows us to get up in there and see if there is a chronic infection or mucus and get that stuff out," Dr. Lee said. "This finally allows us to permanently enlarge the drainage pathways to allow patients to function better in the future."

Thirty million people are diagnosed with sinusitis in the U.S. every year, according to Health eNews.

"Five to ten years ago, people would say, well, it's not worth it to put you under general anesthesia and go in and scrape out your sinuses and put you all through that horrendous recovery when you know your disease isn't that bad," Dr. Lee explained. "But with the balloon sinuplasty, because it's so safe, it's minimally invasive, the downtime is so minimal, it allows us to intervene even for patients with mild disease and to really improve their quality of life."

Lee said that patients are able to get quick relief with very little time away from work, school or other activities.