Julie Naylor had balloon sinuplasty for chronic sinusitis, at Spire Leeds Hospital in February 2011, under the care of consultant ENT surgeon, Mr Gerard Kelly.
The fragrance of fresh cut flowers was one of the scents that gardening enthusiast, Julie Naylor, missed the most when she lost her sense of smell. The Ilkley resident and grandmother of three could not smell or taste anything for six months when she suffered from a chronic sinus infection that devastated her active lifestyle.
That all changed after Julie had a balloon sinuplasty, a minimally-invasive surgical operation that is relatively new to the UK.
Julie, a retired doctor’s receptionist, said: “I went for the surgery at Spire Leeds Hospital as a day patient and came home the same day. When I woke up the next morning, I was free of pain and the first thing I could smell was coffee and I walked out into my garden and smelled the flowers. It’s fantastic, I feel like I have got my life back.”
The problem started in July 2010 when her sinuses became infected and Julie, 58, had to give up many of her favourite activities, such as gardening, gym visits and taking her grandson swimming, due to the devastating symptoms.
“I was in constant pain and suffered from heavy mucous and was blowing my nose every fifteen minutes throughout the day. I had difficulty sleeping and felt completely exhausted,” she said. “I had no sense of smell or taste and lost nearly a stone in weight," she added.
Julie’s GP prescribed antibiotics but Julie and her husband, Peter, became increasingly worried as the symptoms persisted. Four months after the onset of the problem, she went back to her GP who referred her to specialist consultant Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon, Mr Gerard Kelly at Spire Leeds Hospital. Mr Kelly advised her of her surgical options, one of which was a procedure called Balloon Sinuplasty. Julie came in for surgery as a day case patient in February 2011.
Mr Kelly explained that balloon sinuplasty was a minimally invasive technique without incisions or the unpleasant nasal packing associated with other types of sinus surgery. “In my view, the new technology offers a real advance in sinus surgery,” he said. “Relatively few of these operations have now been done in the UK. The first such operation was carried out in the UK only in 2007 and Julie was one of the first to have the procedure carried out in West Yorkshire, and one of the first to have the operation at Spire Leeds Hospital.”
Balloon sinuplasty uses a small, flexible balloon catheter to open up blocked sinus passageways. When the balloon is inflated it gently restructures and widens the walls of the blocked sinus passageways while maintaining the integrity of the sinus linings.
Mr Kelly explained “The sinuses are spaces which should be filled with air, but in sinusitis, these spaces are filled with infected tissue or fluid. Opening these channels allows the sinuses to drain and helps stop the cycle of infection and blockage.”
Julie felt the effects immediately following the surgery. Her head felt clear when she woke after the operation. A week later she was not blowing her nose at all and within days she had resumed her busy lifestyle. “I feel fully rejuvenated and full of beans,” she said, “It’s great to get back to my daily gym workouts and to be able to take my grandson, Reuben, swimming again,” she said. “What’s more, I’m soon going to be extra busy as we have our fourth grandchild on the way.”