ENT AND HEAD & NECK SURGERY

Cochlear implants — which bypass damaged or dysfunctional parts of the inner ear — can improve hearing for people with hearing loss that cannot be adequately managed with conventional hearing aids. Cochlear implants are electronic devices that convert acoustic sounds into electrical pulses which stimulate the auditory nerve directly. The auditory nerve carries the signal to the brain, which recognises the signal as sound.

Cochlear implants help in understanding speech in everyday listening situations — even with hearing aids. Children and adults who had speech and language skills before losing their hearing generally have an easier time adapting to cochlear implants than those who have never experienced hearing at all. Early detection through new-born hearing screening protocols helps in identifying possible cochlear implant candidacy. Otologic procedures like labyrinthectomy for Meniere’s disease, stapedotomy for otosclerosis and glomus tumour surgery are part of the surgical domain of this department.

In patients with dural defects of the anterior and ventral skull base (as part of the disease, iatrogenic or accidental trauma), there is a significant risk of meningitis if left open. Endoscopic transnasal reconstruction with vascularised tissue with or without free autograft material is desirable to facilitate rapid healing and prevention of brain infections.

In addition, certain skull base tumours are removed through the nose via a minimally invasive approach. This entails a good multidisciplinary team approach along with neurosurgeons. Certain vascular tumours like ajuvenile naso—pharyngeal angiofibroma can be tackled through an extended endonasal surgical approach with minimal morbidity and reduced hospital stay. Endoscopic trans nasal procedures like sphenopalatine artery ligation for uncontrolled nose bleeding, orbital/optic nerve decompression following trauma and medial maxillectomy for tumours are also performed here.

Thyroidectomy is the surgical excision of the thyroid, a small gland that produces hormones that regulate the body’s metabolic rate. This procedure may be recommended for conditions such as:

• Thyroid cancer (Cancer is the most common reason for total thyroidectomy)
• Noncancerous enlargement of the thyroid (goiter)

• Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
• Indeterminate or suspicious thyroid nodules (Some thyroid nodules cannot be identified as cancerous or noncancerous after testing a sample from a needle biopsy)

Parotidectomy is the surgical excision of the parotid gland, the major and largest of the salivary glands. The procedure is most typically performed due to neoplasms, which are growths of rapidly and abnormally dividing cells. Neoplasms (tumours) can be benign or malignant

A majority of parotid gland tumours are benign, however 20% of parotid tumours are found to be malignant.In addition to these two surgeries, the department specialises in other airway and head & neck cancer surgeries.