• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson underwent a sinus procedure shortly before announcing his resignation.
• After his procedure, Johnson returned to work later that afternoon.
• Balloon sinuplasty can be done in as little as 30 minutes, and has a very minimal recovery time.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation in early July, following a string of controversies and scandals throughout his almost 3 years in office, CNBC reported.  During the 2 days leading up to his announcement, dozens of members of Johnson’s own party called for him to step down, expressing their lack of confidence in the Conservative Party leader. 

Johnson said he will remain in office until a new party leader is chosen to take over. 

Two weeks before he said “Hasta la vista, baby” in his final "Prime Minister's Questions" session, Johnson took a quick trip to a hospital to take care of a sinus issue. 

Johnson had a minor sinus procedure in late June, with a medical source saying that he likely had a functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) to treat chronic sinusitis. 

According to The Guardian, Johnson arrived at the hospital around 6 a.m. and was home by 10 a.m. With FESS, a doctor may insert a small balloon in the patient's nostril and then inflate the balloon so that the patient’s blocked sinus will expand. This procedure does not include facial incisions, and there are rarely complications. 

“For people with chronic sinusitis, balloon sinuplasty is really the game changer,” Dr. Nicola DeLorio of Accent Sinus Center & Head & Neck Group told New Jersey Business Daily. “The balloon sinuplasty allows us to restore normal drainage to the sinuses, which then allows the sinuses to return to a normal function. In conjunction with that, there are medications we can instill into the sinuses to reverse some of the chronic changes that have occurred.”

Johnson was able to return to his office and attend meetings on the same afternoon he had the procedure, Bloomberg reported. 

Balloon sinuplasty is also known as balloon catheter dilation surgery. It is a minimally invasive procedure used to clear blocked sinuses. This fairly new procedure was approved in 2005 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is referred to as the “smart sinus” procedure, according to Healthline. After the procedure’s completion, many patients have the ability to return to their regular activities within a day or two. Some patients can even drive themselves home after the procedure.

According to GoodRx, balloon sinuplasty is more popular because it carries a relatively low risk and a quicker recovery time than traditional sinus surgery. The procedure does not require the removal of any bone or facial tissue, leading to less pain and swelling and a lower risk of infection.

Readers can learn more about sinusitis or balloon sinuplasty and take a Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz from Accent Sinus Center & Head & Neck Group.