Patent ID: 7645272

Claim:
A method for treating sinusitis of a patient having a paranasal sinus with an associated ostium, the ostium being a natural paranasal sinus ostium that has not previously been surgically altered, the natural paranasal sinus ostium formed by mucosa with unfractured bone underlying the mucosa, the method comprising the steps of: advancing an elongate guide having a preset shape, a distal end and a lumen to a position within or near the natural paranasal sinus ostium; advancing a balloon of a balloon catheter through the lumen of the elongate guide and positioning the balloon catheter and guide such that the balloon is located beyond the distal end of the guide and within the natural paranasal sinus ostium; enlarging the natural paranasal sinus ostium to an enlarged ostium by inflating the balloon within the natural paranasal sinus ostium sufficiently to break, remodel, or rearrange the bone underlying the mucosa of the ostium; and deflating the balloon, removing the balloon catheter from the enlarged ostium, and removing the elongate guide from near the ostium, the enlarging of the ostium being performed so that, after the deflating of the balloon and removing of the balloon catheter and the elongate guide, the sinusitis of the patient is mitigated.