Thomas S. Higgins, MD, MSPH
  • Home
  • About Dr. Higgins
  • Locations
    • Louisville St. Matthews Springs Medical Center
    • Louisville Old Brownsboro Crossing
    • Jeffersonville, Indiana
  • Services and Specialties
    • Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
    • Skull Base Surgery Team of Kentuckiana ENT
    • Research and Clinical Trials
    • Septoplasty
    • Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy
    • Pediatric Nose and Sinus
    • Balloon Sinus Dilation (Balloon Sinuplasty)
    • Eustachian Tube Dilation
    • Educational >
      • Nose and Sinus Anatomy
      • Sinus Infections
      • Nasal Polyps
      • Chronic Rhinitis
      • Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
      • Sinus Irrigations
      • Symptom Control of Common Cold, Allergies, and Sinusitis
      • How To Stop a Nose bleed
      • Why do antibiotics work when it is not a sinus infection?
      • Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Nose and Sinus Conditions
      • Insurance Policies for Sinus Surgery and Balloon Dilation
  • The Snot (News)
  • Newsletter
  • Home
  • About Dr. Higgins
  • Locations
    • Louisville St. Matthews Springs Medical Center
    • Louisville Old Brownsboro Crossing
    • Jeffersonville, Indiana
  • Services and Specialties
    • Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
    • Skull Base Surgery Team of Kentuckiana ENT
    • Research and Clinical Trials
    • Septoplasty
    • Inferior Turbinate Hypertrophy
    • Pediatric Nose and Sinus
    • Balloon Sinus Dilation (Balloon Sinuplasty)
    • Eustachian Tube Dilation
    • Educational >
      • Nose and Sinus Anatomy
      • Sinus Infections
      • Nasal Polyps
      • Chronic Rhinitis
      • Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
      • Sinus Irrigations
      • Symptom Control of Common Cold, Allergies, and Sinusitis
      • How To Stop a Nose bleed
      • Why do antibiotics work when it is not a sinus infection?
      • Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Nose and Sinus Conditions
      • Insurance Policies for Sinus Surgery and Balloon Dilation
  • The Snot (News)
  • Newsletter
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

The Snot (News)

3/6/2019 Comments

Top 5 Innovations in Nose and Sinus Disease Treatment for 2019

Author: Thomas S. Higgins, MD, MSPH

​Dad. Husband. Physician. Sinus Nerd.

Picture
The treatment of nose and sinus conditions has advanced markedly over the past few decades. Our understanding of the mechanisms involved in the body's inflammatory cascade has allowed development of new therapies. Advancements in functional endoscopic sinus surgery, image guidance, and balloon sinus ostial dilation have made surgical intervention much safer with far easier recovery than in the past when open procedures were standard and complications were more common. Here, I will summarize what I see as the innovations in nose and sinus treatment for 2019.        

1. Advancements in Nasal Polyposis Treatment

In the past, the treatment of nasal polyps was straightforward. The doctor would just look in the nose with a headlight and grab as many polyps as could be seen or until the patient could breathe again, then tamponade the bleeding. Researchers now recognize that different kinds of nasal polyps exist, and they are often associated with severe inflammation. A combination of surgery and medical therapies are often necessary. From topical therapies to medications specifically targeting the receptors of inflammation, many therapeutic options are now being studied and broadening the treatment algorithm.   

2. Minimally-Invasive Procedures for Nasal Valve Stenosis

The nasal valve is a narrow part at the entrance of the nasal passageways. It can contribute to nasal obstruction when the nostril is either narrow (often a slit-like opening) or collapsing when sniffing. Nasal valve stenosis, as it is called, is the reason some athletes wear nasal strips as they temporarily stent open the nose. Surgical management using closed or open nasal valve repair or rhinoplasty techniques can be effective, but they often are associated with delicate soft tissue dissection, general anesthesia, and prolonged recovery with bruising. New techniques have been developed to address nasal valve stenosis in the office and quicker recovery.    

3. Expanded Image Guidance Technology

Image guidance is like a GPS system surgeons can use to determine exact location (to a millimeter or so) in which their instruments are in the sinus cavities. This system helps surgeons thoroughly investigate the surgical site and avoid severe complications from injury of surrounding structures.  Because the advances in computer science, image guidance systems are now getting important updates, including higher accuracy, mapping of the sinus pathways, warnings for encroachment on vital structures, and virtual endoscopy.   

4. Cryotherapy for Chronic Rhinitis

Have you ever noticed all the grandpas and grandmas who have tissue paper with them to wipe the constant drip from their noses? This drip is a form of vasomotor rhinitis (a nerve-generated runny nose). A nasal spray may help, but it is not always effective and some may not like its drying effects. There is a surgical approach to cut the nerve responsible for this condition; however, the surgery can be challenging and cause severe dry eye. New technology permits freezing the nerve to deactivate it in the office. Research has shown effectiveness, although it is still too early to know exactly how long the symptom resolution lasts.      

5. 4K HD Video Medical Monitors

This one shows how far healthcare lags behind the general market in digital technology. Homes all across the world have 4K Ultra HD televisions now. And we are excited about 4K Ultra HD monitors? Doctors are going to be bragging about having 4K monitors and going home to their 8K HD television sets! Anyway, these monitors do greatly enhance our visualization, so they are still a medical innovation worth mentioning.
These innovations are helping doctors treat nose and sinus conditions better than ever before. As our understanding of the complexity of these conditions expands, researchers continue to discover more effective and safer treatment options. It is an exciting time to be involved in the care and research of rhinologic problems.    
Comments

    HIGGINS SINUS
    NEWS

    Welcome to Nose and Sinus News on www.higgins-sinus.com, where we post news, highlights, and interesting stories about nose and sinus disease! Check back often!

    Archives

    January 2021
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    June 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    October 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    September 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    October 2012
    May 2012
    January 2012
    May 2011

    Categories

    All Antibiotics Aspirin Covid-19 Dupixent Eustachian Tube Dysfunction General Nasal Surgery Nose Pollutants Ragweed Rhinitis Septoplasty Sinusitis Diagnosis Sinusitis Treatment Sleep Sleep Apnea Summer Cold Vaccine Xolair

    RSS Feed

 Copyright © 2012-2021 Higgins Sinus. Note: The information contained in these pages is for educational purposes only. It should not be construed as individualized diagnostic and treatment advice. Please see our Privacy Policy as well as our Terms and Conditions. While we will never intentionally share any information you provide us via this website, this contact form and email system is not secure under HIPAA guidelines. Please avoid including personal or medical information you would want to be protected from 3rd party interception. A list of HIPAA identifiers can be found here. Please do not use this form for emergent or urgent matters. Disclosure: We may earn a commission when you use one of our coupons/links to make a purchase.
Photos used under Creative Commons from volkspider, phalinn, The National Guard, One Candle Photos, Jon Skilling, edvard_m, _BuBBy_, Rusty Clark - DJ Zippergirl <3, Drab Makyo, iDominick, markus spiske, euthman, draxtor, NIAID, Nicholas Eckhart, Portal Focka, frankieleon, zbigphotography (1M+ views), Portal Focka, William Brawley, NIAID, Scott Clark, Matt From London