在2005年9月美國洛山磯舉行的美國鼻腔學會年度會議上，介紹了一種叫做Balloon Sinuplasty的治療鼻竇炎新方法。

傳統的鼻竇手術需要去除骨骼和組織。而這種新方法，將一個小而柔軟的氣囊插入鼻竇通道，輕輕擴大鼻竇開口，迅速抽干鼻竇。一項包括10例患者的小型研究顯示，該手術能夠成功擴大所有患者的開口而不會導致并發癥或者不良反應。術前和術后CT掃描、多角度內窺鏡和大體檢查都證實了該技術的安全性。一項臨床研究正在進行之中。

 William Bolger醫生是一位公認的鼻竇手術專家，他介紹了這種新的治療方法，他說：“這種技術為慢性鼻竇炎患者提供了一項新的治療選擇。 過去我們就認識到保留粘膜（覆蓋鼻竇的組織層）對治療的遠期效果是至關重要的。”

在內窺鏡下將引導導管置入鼻腔之后，將細小的引導鋼絲插入需要治療的目標鼻竇。一旦到達鼻竇之后，在X線引導之下，將獲得知識產權保護的Relieva氣囊插入腫脹的鼻竇通道。然后擴張Relieva鼻竇氣囊導管，輕輕地重建并擴展通道內壁，維持鼻竇的完整性，并迅速抽干收集到的鼻竇分泌物。

Relieva是由Acclarent公司(Menlo Park, CA, USA)研制開發的，該公司是眼、鼻和喉醫療設備的專業制造商。

New Treatment for Sinusitis
 
A new treatment for sinusitis, called Balloon Sinuplasty, was unveiled at the annual meeting of the American Rhinologic Society in Los Angeles (CA, USA) in September 2005.

Conventional sinus surgery involves bone and tissue removal. In the new procedure, a small flexible balloon is threaded through the sinus passageways, gently dilating the openings of the sinuses and allowing for immediate drainage. A pilot study of 10 patients showed the procedure successfully dilated the ostium in all patients with no complications or adverse effects. The comparison of pre- and post-computed tomography (CT) scans, multi-angled endoscopic views, and gross examination confirmed the safety of the technique. A new study is ongoing.

“This technology provides a novel treatment option for patients suffering from chronic sinusitis,” said Dr. William Bolger, MD, FACS, a recognized expert in sinus surgery who presented the new treatment. “Over the years we have realized that preserving the mucosa, the layer of tissue covering the sinuses, is very important for good long-term results.”

After placing a small guiding catheter into the nose under endoscopic vision, a small guidewire is introduced into the sinus targeted for therapy. Once the sinus is accessed, a proprietary balloon device called Relieva is introduced into the swollen sinus passageway under x-ray guidance. The Relieva sinus balloon catheter is then dilated, gently restructuring and widening the walls of the passageway, maintaining the integrity of the sinus lining and allowing for immediate drainage of trapped secretions.

Relieva was developed by Acclarent, Inc. (Menlo Park, CA, USA), a developer of medical devices for ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists.