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Drs. Coombe, Wink earn in-office sinusitis surgery certification

(Bismarck, N.D.)—W. Thomas Coombe, MD, and Sue Wink, MD, board certified ear, nose and throat specialists at Sanford Health, recently earned Balloon SinuplastyTM in-office certification from Acclarent.

They are the first and only doctors in the state to currently hold this designation for treating chronic sinusitis, which can cause facial pain, pain and pressure under the eyes, nasal congestion and discharge, difficulty breathing through the nose and severe pain throughout the jaw.

Balloon SinuplastyTM involves positioning a minimally invasive balloon into a blocked sinus, which is inflated to restructure and open the passageway, restoring normal sinus function without tissue or bone removal.

With this certification, Drs. Coombe and Wink are able to perform Balloon SinuplastyTM as an in-office procedure rather in an operating room, enabling the use of local anesthesia rather than general anesthesia, and contributing to faster patient recovery.

Patients can request appointments with Drs. Coombe or Wink by calling 323.8922 or by visiting bismarck.sanfordhealth.org.

About Sanford Health
Sanford Health is an integrated health system headquartered in the Dakotas and is now the largest, rural, not-for-profit health care system in the nation with locations in 126 communities in eight states. In addition, Sanford Health is in the process of developing international clinics in Ghana, Israel and Mexico.

Sanford Health includes 35 hospitals, 140 clinic locations and 1,360 physicians in 81 specialty areas of medicine. With more than 26,000 employees, Sanford Health is the largest employer in North and South Dakota. The system is experiencing dynamic growth and development in conjunction with Denny Sanford's nearly $700 million in gifts, the largest ever to a health care organization in America. These gifts are making possible the implementation of several initiatives including global children's clinics, multiple research centers and finding cures for type 1 diabetes and breast cancer. For more information, please visit sanfordhealth.org.