Significant orbital and intracranial complications from balloon sinus dilation as a stand‐alone and powered dissector‐assisted procedure

Chronic rhinosinusitis is one of the most common chronic conditions affecting millions of people in the United States every year. Balloon sinus dilation is a minimally invasive intervention that was introduced as a possible alternative to endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). In select patients, balloon dilation has been advocated as a relatively safe procedure with comparable efficacy to traditional ESS. Over the past 12 months, significant intracranial and intraorbital complications have been observed on five patients who underwent balloon sinus dilation as a stand‐alone procedure, as well as what could be termed a power dissector‐assisted balloon dilation procedure, obviating the need for a wide sinusotomy or any significant ethmoid surgery, which are typically performed to establish anatomical landmarks before the introduction of power instruments into dependent sinus cavities. Laryngoscope, 2455–2459, 2018