Chronic Otitis Media (COM) What is Chronic Otitis Media? Chronic otitis media (COM) is a condition of the ear that is defined as a long-standing perforation (hole) of the ear drum or the presence of cholesteatoma (skin-lined cyst). It is treated by the Division of Otolaryngology, also known as Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), at The [...]

  HEARING AIDS What are hearing aids? A hearing aid is a small electronic device that you place in or behind your ear. Hearing aids amplify sounds so that people with hearing loss can improve their hearing and speech comprehension. There are many different types of hearing aids available today, including prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) [...]

SINUS SURGERY What are sinus surgery types? There are several types of sinus surgeries: Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS): This is the most common type of sinus surgery. This surgery widens the drainage passages between your nose and your sinuses, removing bone or infected tissue so mucus trapped in your sinuses can get out. Healthcare providers use [...]

TONSILLECTOMY/ADENOIDECTOMY Everyone has small glands on each side of the throat (tonsils) and at the top of the throat behind the nose (adenoids). A tonsillectomy (ton-sil-ek-toe-mee) is surgery to remove the tonsils, while an adenoidectomy (ad-uh-noid-ek-toe-mee) is surgery to remove the adenoids. A tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy done together is also commonly referred to as a [...]

THYROIDECTOMY Thyroidectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of your thyroid gland. Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of your neck. It makes hormones that control every part of your metabolism, from your heart rate to how quickly you burn calories. Health care providers perform thyroidectomy to treat thyroid [...]

SLEEP APNEA SURGERY What Is Surgery for Sleep Apnea? There are many surgeries given to people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)and one for people with central sleep apnea (CSA).With OSA, a person stops breathing during sleep because their airway becomes partially or completely blocked. Surgeries for OSA primarily involve reducing physical blockages, for example by [...]

NOSE JOB Rhinoplasty (RIE-no-plas-tee) is surgery that changes the shape of the nose. The reason for rhinoplasty may be to change the appearance of the nose, improve breathing or both. The upper part of the structure of the nose is bone. The lower part is cartilage. Rhinoplasty can change bone, cartilage, skin or all three. [...]

COCHLEAR IMPLANTS What are cochlear implants? Cochlear implants are electronic devices that reduce hearing loss. Cochlear implants don’t restore your hearing, but they can improve your ability to understand speech and hear other sounds. What are the types of cochlear implants? Cochlear implant types differ depending on the location of the external sound processor. External sound [...]