Headed By: Dr. Mohit Jindal - M.B.B.S., M.S.
Otolaryngology, surgical specialty concerned with diseases of the head and neck. Historically, specialists in otolaryngology treated only conditions of the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) and were called ENT doctors. Today specialists in the field—referred to as otolaryngologists or head and neck surgeons—study, diagnose, and treat all of the organs of the human head and neck except the eyes and brain.
Although trained and classified as specialists in surgery, otolaryngologists also provide nonsurgical treatment for medical conditions of the head and neck. They help patients with common conditions such as sinus infections, middle ear infections, minor hearing loss, allergy problems, chronic nosebleeds, and tonsillitis. Otolaryngologists are also trained to perform surgical procedures to treat more complex disorders, including Ménière's disease, a disorder of the inner ear that causes vertigo and hearing loss; otosclerosis, a condition of the middle ear; and other disorders that cause severe hearing damage or deafness. Otolaryngologists may also study, diagnose, and treat cancer of the larynx and sinuses and conditions that obstruct a patient's airway. Some otolaryngologists specialize in plastic surgery of the nose and other facial structures, which may be performed for cosmetic or reconstruction purposes.
Otolaryngologists use a variety of tools to examine, diagnose, and treat disorders of the head and neck. In a procedure called endoscopy, otolaryngologists use a narrow probe called an endoscope to examine and photograph inner structures of the head and neck. Endoscopy has revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of throat cancer and diseases of the nasal passages. Other tools enable otolaryngologists to measure aspects of a patient's hearing. The audiometer, for example, measures sensitivity to sounds of high and low frequencies. Otolaryngologists may give patients with hearing problems hearing aids, sound-amplifying devices worn in or behind the ear.
The field of otolaryngology is increasingly specialized. All otolaryngologists receive training in seven recognized subspecialties: allergy, bronchoesophagology (treatment of the throat), facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, head and neck surgery, laryngology (disorders of the larynx), otology (diseases of the ears), and rhinology (conditions of the nose). After they complete general training requirements, otolaryngologists may choose to focus on a particular subspecialty. In recent years, doctors have been able to pursue in-hospital training programs, called residencies, in two new subspecialties: pediatric otolaryngology, the treatment of children with disorders of the head, neck, and throat; and neurotology, the study of the inner ear and related nerves and blood vessels.