How to Prepare for Balloon Sinus Surgery

Balloon sinus surgery is a proven medical procedure to control sinus infections. Because of the success and safety, balloon sinus surgery is swiftly becoming the method of choice for severe or chronic sinusitis infections that don’t respond to other traditional therapies. Depending on your sinusitis diagnosis results, your ENT doctor may recommend this surgical procedure and help you schedule your surgery.

Preparing for your balloon sinus surgery procedure

There are several ways you can begin to prepare for your procedure, from understanding what to expect to speaking to your doctor about current medications you’re on.

Two weeks before the procedure

Your ear, nose and throat doctor may ask you to stop all medications, supplements and herbs that can worsen bleeding during and after your surgery. Two weeks before your surgery, do the following:

• Do not take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs).
• Do not take any herbal and vitamin supplements for vitamin E, ginkgo Biloba, garlic tablets, ginseng and fish oil.
• Abstain from alcohol, including wine, beer and liquor.
• If you take any prescribed blood thinner discuss this with your ENT doctor. You’ll receive instructions on stopping and resuming your prescription.
• Stop smoking before surgery and continue not smoking for a month afterward, according to doctors.

Get all the supplies you need before and after the surgery.

Essential supplies may include some prescribed medicines and other necessary items. These include:

• Prescribed medicines take on the surgery day to help with nausea.
• If you’ve got a prescribed pain medication, ensure you take the handwritten prescription to the pharmacy as soon as possible.
• Have two gallons of distilled water for saline sinus rinses. The rinses are typically done three to four weeks after the surgery.
• Crushed ice cubes to help keep your mouth moist, soothe your throat and stay hydrated.

The day of your surgery

Eat as you usually do but not an hour before your surgery, and ensure you take any prescribed medication two hours before surgery.

Wear comfortable clothing and arrange for someone to drive you to and from your ENT doctor’s office as some medicines can make you drowsy. By knowing what to do before the procedure can make the process more comfortable.