Advanced Technologies & Treatments | Chicago Nasal & Sinus Center

Advanced Technologies
& Treatments

In-Office CT Imaging

Chicago Nasal & Sinus Center is able to offer in-office CT imaging using the Xoran MiniCAT™ Compact CT scanner. Specifically designed for sinus imaging, the MiniCAT™ is able to provide high-definition 3-D images with slices as thin as 0.4 mm to visualize small anatomic structures, sinus drainage pathways and sinus disease. Unlike conventional full-body CT scanners, patients sit upright in a chair, without any enclosure that might induce claustrophobia. The MiniCAT™ provides quality images in 20-40 seconds, with much lower radiation exposure than conventional scanners. In-office CT imaging allows patients to see their scan almost immediately, and this helps them understand their condition as well as the discussion of their treatment options.

Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

Endoscopic sinus surgery is a functional procedure designed to enlarge the natural openings of the sinuses as they drain into the nose. The use of a thin fiberoptic telescope enables Dr. Pritikin to visualize the sinuses through the nostrils, without having to make an incision on the face. The inflamed or infected tissue lining the sinus cavities sometimes needs to be removed to open the sinuses. In conjunction with septal surgery, endoscopic sinus surgery has the potential to eliminate or significantly improve sinus headaches, relieve sinus pain and pressure, reduce the frequency and severity of recurrent sinus infections, and decrease post-nasal drainage with about a 90% success rate. Those patients with underlying medical problems (immune disorders, asthma and allergies) may require continued medical therapy for their sinus problems, but the frequency and severity of these problems should be significantly reduced following surgery.

Balloon Sinuplasty™

Balloon Sinuplasty™ products are endoscopic, catheter-based devices specifically designed to navigate the tortuous openings of the paranasal sinuses. A sinus balloon catheter is used to dilate blocked sinus openings without tissue or bone removal. The design of these devices gives Dr. Pritikin the opportunity to open the sinuses and promote aeration and drainage with minimal discomfort, almost no bleeding, and little recovery time. Patients with recurrent acute sinus infections or those with chronic sinus pressure and weather-related sinus headaches ("barosinusitis") due to narrow sinus openings may benefit from dilation of these openings. The international multi-center CLEAR study (Bulger, et al. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2007; 137:10-20) confirmed the safety and efficacy of this technology with symptom improvement for 85% of patients over a 2-year period without any serious adverse events. A subsequent outcomes study of over 1000 patients in the U.S. (Levine, et al. Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology 117(4): 263-270) found that 95% of patients treated with sinus balloon catheters experienced improvement in their sinus problems.

Interventional Rhinology

Balloon catheter dilation of the sinus openings is a relatively new and novel approach to sinus surgery, minimizing trauma to the tissues and improving the ventilation and drainage of the sinuses. Chicago Nasal and Sinus Center has been at the forefront of this technology since its introduction in 2006; however, until recently, balloon dilation of the sinus openings had been performed in the operating room under anesthesia after attempts at medical therapy failed. Initial medical therapy for sinusitis typically includes antibiotics, decongestants and anti-inflammatory medications. Maximal or “extended” medical therapy may now involve dilation of narrow sinus openings and placement of gels or catheters (Relieva Stratus™ MicroFlow Spacer) that slowly release medications into the sinuses over a long period of time, decreasing inflammation and promoting sinus health. Enlarging the sinus openings may also improve the delivery of medications via sinus irrigations or nasal sprays. These measures may provide relief of chronic sinus problems without the need for traditional sinus surgery.

Sinuplasty Center of Excellence Chicago Nasal and Sinus Center is pleased to be able to offer in-office balloon catheter dilation (Sinuplasty™) of the sinuses under local anesthesia. For properly selected patients with chronic sinus pain, sinus pressure and recurring sinus infections, this in-office procedure has the potential to provide dramatic improvement with minimal risk, minimal discomfort and rapid recovery.

The criteria for the Sinuplasty Center of Excellence™ are as follows:

Surgeon clinically trained in the safe and effective use of the balloon technology
Defined treatment algorithm
More than 200 patients treated
Community outreach/patient education
Education of referring physicians
Training of other surgeons to use this technology effectively
Treatment outcomes data collection

Turbinate Reduction

Turbinate reduction or trimming of abnormally enlarged inferior turbinates is intended to improve nasal breathing, decrease nasal stuffiness, decrease the impact of allergies on nasal breathing, and reduce snoring. The turbinates may be surgically reduced, cauterized, or frozen to make them smaller and less prone to swelling and obstruction. Submucosal reduction of the turbinates preserves the warming and humidification function of these structures while decreasing their bulk, thus improving airflow with minimal disruption of normal function and the preservation of nerve endings and mucus producing glands.

Allergy Testing & Desensitization Therapy

Allergies affect more than 60 million people in the United States, and have a serious impact on overall health. We are now able to offer allergy skin testing to identify indoor and outdoor allergens as well as food allergens. Testing and identification then allows us to tailor a treatment regimen, using either subcutaneous immunotherapy ("allergy shots") or sublingual immunotherapy ("allergy drops").

Subcutaneous immunotherapy involves injections of dilute concentrations of allergens beneath the skin. Over time, the immune system becomes less and less responsive to these allergens, and symptoms such as sneezing and nasal congestion subside. We are pleased to be able to offer a novel alternative to shots. Sublingual immunotherapy, or SLIT, is a form of immunotherapy that involves putting drops of allergen extracts under the tongue and it is a safer and more convenient alternative to allergy shots. This form of immunotherapy has been used for years in Europe, and has recently become popular in the United States. Generally, SLIT is administered either once a day or several times per week over a period of several years. In contrast to allergy shots, most patients are able to administer SLIT at home with almost no risk of systemic reaction.

Home Sleep Study

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) occurs when the upper airway (nose or throat) temporarily collapses during sleep, stopping breathing. OSA patients typically suffer from low oxygen levels in the blood, high blood pressure and an overall decrease in the quality of life due to daytime drowsiness and fatigue. Breathing pauses can occur anywhere from 10 to over 100 times per hour of sleep, severely disrupting normal sleep rhythms. Untreated OSA can severely affect one's health and clinical research shows that it is linked strongly to a range of serious, even life-threatening, illnesses and conditions such as stroke, heart failure, hypertension, and coronary artery disease.

The diagnosis of sleep apnea used to require an overnight stay in a sleep laboratory, but sleeping in unfamiliar surroundings can also affect sleep quality. We are now able to offer the ARES Home Sleep Test Device, a multi-channel device that can record breathing, snoring episodes, depth of sleep, heart rate and rhythm, abnormal movement during sleep and blood oxygen level. The patient takes the device home, wears it that evening while they sleep, and returns it to our office the next day. Results are typically available within 24 hours. Based on the results, we can a) rule out OSA b) diagnose OSA and prescribe therapy or c) prescribe further testing or CPAP titration to be performed in a sleep laboratory.

Cosmetic Treatments

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a prescription medication that is used to improve the look of wrinkles in the forehead and around the eyes for up to 6 months. It is administered by trained healthcare professionals as a simple, nonsurgical treatment that is injected directly into the muscles in the forehead. It works by blocking nerve impulses to the injected muscles. This reduces muscle activity that causes moderate to severe lines to form between the brows and around the eyes.

JUVEDERM® is an injectable gel filler that a trained healthcare professional uses to instantly smooth away folds and wrinkles around your mouth and nose or enhance your lips. The filler is largely made of a substance called Hyaluronic acid, which is naturally found in the skin. With just one treatment, you�ll get smooth and natural-looking results that last up to a year.

LATISSE® (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.03% is the first and only prescription treatment approved by the FDA for inadequate or not enough eyelashes, growing them longer, fuller and darker. It�s a once-a-day treatment that works gradually and effectively. You apply the solution topically to the base of your upper eyelashes, as instructed by your doctor. Then, results start to show in as little as 8 weeks, with full results in 16 weeks.

Chicago Nasal & Sinus