A new breakthrough to give you relief from chronic sinus problems, a condition that most of us in the Ohio River valley have felt all too often.

Even if you've had sinus surgery before, this procedure, called balloon sinuplasty, might be the last surgery you'll need.

Elizabeth Pearson has been suffering with severe sinus problems that even antibiotics can no longer help.

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“My head's all stuffed up, and I have bad headaches when I get a sinus infection.”

She's about to have a procedure that is done in heart patients to unblock clogged arteries to permanently clear her sinuses. It's called balloon sinuplasty. A non-invasive, outpatient procedure to treat chronic sinus infections.

Dr. Vasu Kakarlapudi at Floyd Memorial Hospital is the first in this region to perform this new procedure. There's no bleeding, no bruising and a short recovery time.

“She should be back to work or back to regular activities by Friday, maybe a little bit sooner,” says Dr. Kakarlapudi.

Sure enough, one week later, Elizabeth is in much better shape. “My head feels a lot better than it did. It's not stuffy and congested,” she says.

And just in time for the spring and summer allergy season.

Web story produced by Jay Ditzer.