EAR, NOSE & THROAT (ENT) SURGERY

Definition

Ear, nose, and throat surgery is the the surgical treatment of diseases, injuries, or deformations of the ears, nose, throat, head, and neck areas.

Purpose

ENT surgery is a speciality dealing with the diagnosis, evaluation and management of diseases of head and neck and principally the ears, nose and throat.

"Ormiston Hospital has a number of highly experienced and skilled ENT specialists available"

What do orthopaedic surgeons do?

One of the key areas of concern for ENT surgeons is helping patients cope with or recover from diseases that impair the senses of hearing and balance. They will also be concerned with the functional aspects of breathing, eating and speech. ENT surgeons also deal with cancers in this region of the body. Many will undertake plastic and reconstructive work on the face. Most ENT Surgeons will develop a special interest in a sub-specialty (listed below).

ENT problems occur in all age groups but infective problems are particularly frequent in young people. Consequently, ENT surgeons see a much higher proportion of paediatric patients than any other branch of surgery, other than specialist paediatric surgeons.

The principle sub-specialties of ENT surgery are:

• Otology – Treatment of infection, disease and damage to the ear to improve hearing and balance. Neurotologists deal with conditions deep in the middle and inner ear where conditions are more closely linked to the brain.
• Rhinology – Treatment of sinus and nasal disorders, including allergy, to relieve pain, ease breathing and improve nasal function.
• Laryngology – Treatment of infections of the throat and larynx to ease speech and swallowing.
• Head and neck surgery – away from the main ENT systems, specializing in surgery on cysts, glands such as lymph, salivary, thyroid and parathyroid glands, and head and neck cancers.
• Facial plastics – this can include aesthetic procedures such as rhinoplasty (‘nose job’), pinnaplasty (bat ears), face lifts or reconstructive such as re-setting the jaw. There is a big cross-over here with the work of plastic and oral & maxillofacial surgeons.
• Paediatrics – there are many ENT conditions, often congenital, that require treatment at a very young age. These include airway problems, infections of adenoids or tonsils that require their removal, and grommets for ‘glue ear’.
Main operations:
• Insertion of Grommets - to allow air to middle ear in cases of chronic middle ear infection to assist hearing. This is typically carried out in children and removed when infection clears.
• (Adeno)- Tonsillectomy - removal of tonsils and/or adenoids to relieve a variety of conditions.
• Septoplasty - correction of nasal septum to enable clear breathing and prevent obstruction.
• Endoscopic Sinus surgery - minimally invasive surgery for serious cases of inflamed, infected and blocked sinuses.
• Tracheostomy or “operations on the voice box (larynx)” - creation of an alternative airway in the throat for patients experiencing difficulty breathing.

Developments:

Endoscopic Sinus surgery. The development of lens technology has allowed unparalleled visibility inside the nose and sinuses, and a much improved understanding of their diseases. This has allowed for a much more focused and effective approach for surgery for sino-nasal problems.