In select patients, a limited procedure may help

• Many patients are referred to the “Ear, Nose, and Throat” (“ENT”) physician for headaches and facial pain
• Usually the presumption is that these symptoms are being caused by sinusitis.
• However, the search for the cause of pain is often a detective story and the “first suspect” is not always the “culprit.”
• Sometimes the mere swelling of tissues inside the nose, even without an infection, can directly cause pain symptoms or can trigger mid-facial segment pain or headaches through the nervous system
• Dr. Amenta can apply medication to shrink the swollen tissues and see if this quickly helps the pain.  (We caught the culprit!)
• Medications taken at home can stop the swelling of the tissues that are generating or triggering pain.
• Patients often need more consistent relief than the medications can deliver or don’t want to take medications
• Then a Sub-mucosal Radio-frequency Turbinate Reduction Procedure (“Coblation”) may be the best choice.
• The Sub-mucosal Radio-frequency Turbinate Reduction Procedure (“Coblation”) is performed in the operating room with a brief general anesthesia
• The post-op care is usually limited to rinsing the nose with saline spray daily for about a month
• Here is a PDF poster describing Sub-mucosal Radio-frequency Turbinate Reduction Procedure (“Coblation”)
• Here is an animation of the Sub-mucosal Radio-frequency Turbinate Reduction Procedure (“Coblation”)
• Endoscopic sinus surgery by Dr. Amenta is available in cases of sinusitis where medications have failed
• Migraine is a diagnosis very often missed by the primary care physician. A referral to a neurologist can help