For any signs of hearing loss, a hearing test can be arranged with an audiologist. Infections of the ear are commonly treated with microsuction and eardrops. If hearing loss is due to middle ear fluid, known as glue ear, then
Grommets may be an option and your surgeon will be happy to discuss if this is appropriate to treat your condition.
Perforated eardrums tend to heal of their own accord, but if the hole is particularly large, surgery may be needed to reconstruct the ear drum. This is done under general anaesthetic in an operation called a myringoplasty, where the ear drum is reconstructed with a skin graft (tissue sample).
Recurrent tonsil problems such as infections or tonsil stones may be solved with a tonsillectomy, which is the standard surgery when a patient has had frequent bouts of tonsilitis. This can usually be done as a day-case procedure, enabling you to go home on the same day.
Palate surgery is often used for patients who struggle with snoring, where an operation is carried out to reduce the size of your palate or alter the rigidity to prevent the excess vibrations that cause loud snoring. Non-surgical measures may include reducing your intake of alcohol, losing weight, giving up smoking, and sleeping on your side rather than on your back.
Sinus Surgery (FESS) and/or Nasal Polypectomy is a surgical procedure to treat chronic nasal blockage due to polyps or chronic sinus disease that has not responded to medical treatment, and if the nasal blockage is due to a septal deviation then a Septoplasty procedure may be more appropriate.
Balloon Eustachian Tuboplasty is a highly sought-after procedure offered at Woodlands, useful for people suffering with recurrent/severe popping ears. Most of us experience popping ears with an extreme change of altitude (flying or diving, for example). The majority of people can equalize the pressure by swallowing or sucking a sweet, but some people can’t and live with discomfort and/or pain, even at ground level. This treatment is ideal for them.
Normally performed under a general anaesthetic, a catheter is inserted through the nose along with a small balloon, which is then inflated once the catheter has reached just beyond the eustachian tube (which connects the middle of your ear to the upper part of your throat, behind the nose).
If you’re a frequent flyer, this is a day case procedure you will certainly want to combat those symptoms of pressure sensitivity. Specialist surgeries like these are just one of the reasons Woodlands has patients coming from as far as Edinburgh and Carlisle for treatment.