News for Your Health

Albany Regional Sleep Disorders Center accredited by AASM
Balloon Sinuplasty
CT Imaging Center at Albany ENT & Allergy accredited by ICACTL
Nasal Saline Rinse
Sublingual Immunotherapy—Drops Not Shots!
Videostroboscopy

Albany Regional Sleep Disorders Center

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has accredited the Albany Regional Sleep Disorders Center, together with other AASM-Accredited Centers, which provide the highest quality of patient care. Like the AASM, Albany Regional Sleep Disorders Center is committed to ensuring that those in the field of Sleep Medicine provide excellent healthcare and enhanced awareness of sleep as an important element for health, public safety, and quality of life.

Sublingual Immunotherapy—Drops Not Shots!

We’re excited to share news with you about a new treatment option that’s available to children and adult allergy patients at Albany ENT & Allergy Services.

The treatment, known as sublingual immunotherapy or allergy drops, desensitizes patients to their allergies through an antigen taken under the tongue in a liquid form, versus through an injection. The antigens used are the same, but the delivery method enables more patients to benefit from the treatment.

Research has proven the effectiveness of allergy drops, which are safe, cost-effective and convenient for patients. You can administer the drops at home, which means fewer office visits. Drops can be safely used for a broader range of patients including infants and children, people with chronic health conditions that are not candidates for, or who prefer not to have shots. The drops are also an effective treatment for food allergies.

The World Health Organization also supports the use of allergy drops as an effective alternative and their use is rapidly growing worldwide. Most importantly, the treatment provides you with an opportunity for lasting and often permanent benefits.

Although sublingual immunotherapy is safe and cost-effective, it is not yet covered by most major health insurance plans requiring some additional cost to patients.

If you’re interested in more information about our allergy drop program and whether it might be for you or to make an appointment, please call us at 518-701-2012. We appreciate being part of your care and are pleased to bring this option to our patients.

CT Imaging

The CT Imaging Center at Albany ENT & Allergy was recently accredited by The Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Computed Tomography Laboratories (ICACTL), which sets the quality standards for the provision of CT Services nationwide. Albany ENT & Allergy Services is proud of this certification and dedicated to ensuring quality of care for our patients in accordance with the highest established medical and radiological standards.

For more information on the ICACTL, please visit their website at http://www.icactl.org/icactl/.

Balloon Sinuplasty

A clinically proven, minimally invasive technology for treating chronic sinus inflammation is now available at Albany ENT & Allergy Services. The Balloon Sinuplasty™ system by Acclarent™ uses a small catheter and balloon to quickly open and expand blocked sinuses. Sinusitis is one of the most common chronic health problems in the U.S., afflicting 37 million Americans each year. Patients suffer headaches, congestion, fatigue and other symptoms. This condition significantly impacts an individual’s physical, functional, and emotional quality of life.¹

Until recently, sinusitis patients were limited to two treatment options: medical therapy such as antibiotics, topical nasal steroids and allergy management or conventional sinus surgery such as Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS). Medical therapy can help alleviate symptoms for 75-80% of patients but is inadequate for the rest. For them, sinus surgery is often the best option. FESS is a conventional surgery that requires bone and tissue removal in order to open up blocked sinus passageways. In lieu of a desired treatment, more than 600,000 patients elect to live with painful sinus conditions.²

Now, there is an evolution in endoscopic sinus surgery with the Balloon Sinuplasty™ technology by Acclarent™. A small, flexible balloon catheter is placed through a nostril into the blocked sinus passageway. The balloon is then inflated to gently restructure and open the sinus passageway, restoring normal sinus drainage and function. Balloon Sinuplasty™ is often times performed in conjunction with traditional FESS.

Dr. Gavin Setzen is one of the first physicians in this area to offer this technology. He says, “The Balloon Sinuplasty™ devices are a true advance in sinus care because in many cases it can be done without removing any tissue or bone. That means faster recovery times and less post-procedure discomfort. In fact, many of my patients have been able to return to normal activities within 24 hours and have had significant improvement in their symptoms.”

The international, multi-center study, CLEAR³, published in the July 2007 issue of the prestigious journal, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery⁴, confirmed earlier rigorous clinical validation that the Balloon Sinuplasty™ instruments by Acclarent™ are safe and effective for opening blocked sinuses. The CLEAR study reported 24-week results on 109 patients, which demonstrated:

0% adverse event rate
96.9% successful ostial dilation
98% observed ostial patency rate
81% overall patency rate (17% of ostia indeterminate due to anatomical preservation)
Clinically and statistically significant improvement in patient symptoms⁵

Sinusitis patients who are considering their options can learn more about the Balloon Sinuplasty™ technology by contacting Albany ENT & Allergy Services at 518 701 2000 and www.albanyentandallergy.com or by visiting www.balloonsinuplasty.com.

1 Anand V, Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 113: 2004 2 Acclarent, Inc. estimates based on U.S. Census Bureau; Shashy, et al., Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2004, 130: 320-323; Benninger, Otolaryngol Head and Neck Surg 2003, 129S: S1-S32; Hamilos, J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000, 106:213-27; Discussions with Acclarent advisors; notes on file. ©2006-2007 Acclarent, Inc. All rights reserved. Acclarent and Balloon Sinuplasty are trademarks and CLEAR is a service mark of Acclarent, Inc. MKT00612 Rev. D

Nasal Saline Rinse

Nasal saline rinses for irrigations are a simple, cost-effective, well-tolerated means of improving nasal hygiene in patients with chronic rhinitis (nasal irritation and inflammation) and sinusitis. Rhinosinusitis is one of the most chronic diseases in the United States and is often associated with allergy and asthma.

The use of nasal irrigation for the treatment of nose and sinus complaints has its foundations in yogic and homeopathic traditions. There has been an increasing use of saline irrigations, douches, sprays and rinsing as an adjunct to medical management of chronic rhinosinusitis, and in many patients this is all that becomes necessary for maintenance of symptom relief. Nasal saline irrigations are a safe, effective and well-tolerated intervention that provides symptom relief in many patients. We've included instructions for home nasal saline rinses.

Videostroboscopy

Albany ENT & Allergy Services is pleased to announce the availability of videostroboscopy, a state-of-the art technique that provides a magnified, slow-motion view of the vocal cords in action. It enables our physicians to make an accurate diagnosis of conditions and diseases of the vocal cords, including lesions or masses, inflammation, broken blood vessels, scarring, abnormal motion and other voice disorders. Anyone who is experiencing chronic voice problems such as hoarseness, breathiness, vocal fatigue, decreased vocal range or pain while talking may be a candidate for videostroboscopy testing. Most of these vocal problems are the result of abnormal patterns of vibration of the vocal cords.

The examination is conducted with a small, angled telescope that is placed in the mouth. The patient is then asked to say certain sounds to make the vocal cords vibrate. This vocal cord movement is recorded by the speech pathologist so it can be reviewed later. The examination lasts only a few minutes and is not painful. The patient will be able to view what is happening on the video monitor. After a diagnosis has been made, your doctor at Albany ENT & Allergy will recommend a treatment plan, which may include medication, vocal exercises with the speech pathologist and in some cases, surgery. For more information on this service, please contact Susan Hare, MS, CCC-SLP Speech Pathologist at 518 701 2011.