Montgomery News

• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson underwent a sinus procedure shortly before announcing his resignation.

• He was reportedly able to return to work later that afternoon.

• Balloon sinuplasty is a relatively quick surgery, and the recovery time is minimal.

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. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had sinus surgery one morning in late June and returned to work that same afternoon, The Guardian reported. 

Johnson went to the hospital around 6 a.m. and was home by 10 a.m. A medical source said Johnson likely had a functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), which treats chronic sinusitis.

One method of FESS is when a doctor inserts a small balloon into the patient's nostril, then inflates the balloon to widen the patient's blocked sinus. This procedure does not involve facial incisions, and complications are rare.

Balloon sinuplasty is an effective and minimally invasive form of treatment that can help many patients, according to Dr. Manish Khanna of Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.

"Things like topical sprays and doing sinus irrigation, while they're certainly helpful, there's limits to what those topical medications can do," Khanna told Montgomery News. "From a procedural standpoint, an office sinus procedure done under local on an awake patient will put that patient back to normal activities in a couple days. There's a lot of benefits to addressing sinus disease earlier, really addressing the patient anatomy with a minimally invasive procedure to help as a preventative. Office balloon sinuplasty is a really reasonable option for patients to help mitigate need for antibiotics and oral steroids."

On the day of his sinus procedure, Johnson was able to return to his office and attend meetings in the afternoon, Bloomberg News reported.

Balloon sinuplasty, also known as  balloon catheter dilation surgery, is a procedure used to clear blocked sinuses. This surgery is relatively new, having been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005. It’s also commonly referred to as the “smart sinus” procedure, according to Healthline.

After having a balloon  sinuplasty, many people are able to return to their regular activities within a day or two. Some people even drive themselves home from the procedure.

Balloon sinuplasty is becoming more popular because it has lower risks and a quicker recovery time than traditional sinus surgery, according to GoodRX. The procedure does not require the removal of any bones 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 Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.