Eustachian tube balloon dilation is a treatment for Eustachian tube dysfunction, a condition that can cause ear pain, pressure and muffled hearing.
Using an endoscope and the Eustachian Tube Balloon Dilation System, the physician inserts the device through the nose to the back of the sinus cavity where the Eustachian tube is located. After correctly aligning the endoscopic device, which has a curved, hook-like tip, she inserts it into the Eustachian tube. A balloon at the end of the device fills with water and dilates the Eustachian tube for two minutes.
Patients report they hear better, their middle ear is not collecting fluid anymore, and they don’t feel like their ear is under pressure all of the time. There is no pain related to the procedure and they are able to return to work the next day.
Eustachian tube balloon dilation is appropriate for patients who have painful ear pressure, patients who cannot equalize their ear pressure when they’re flying, patients with a history of radiation to their nasopharynx or their head and neck area, and patients who have had mastoid or middle ear surgery that continue to experience recurrent fluid in their ears or are unable to equalize the pressure in their ears.
