| Laser Surgical System |
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The laser is now universally accepted as technologically the most advanced tool in various specialties of surgery. However the properties of all lasers are not alike and the field of ear, nose and throat surgery has advanced significantly with the introduction of the Diode – Laser. The wavelength corresponds to the absorption peak of hemoglobin (blood pigment) offering the most bloodless surgery available today. The laser is especially suited for ENT work and finds application in various aspects of surgery in the ear, nose, larynx, neck etc. The quality of ENT surgery using this laser improves significantly on the results. The Asian ENT CARE CENTRE is the first hospital in the country to acquire and perform various new techniques with the Diode Laser. |
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Advantages in Laser Surgery |
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1. Precise Surgery
As in all surgery, precision is of utmost importance. In ENT surgery a lot of work, especially operation on the ear and vocal cords are undertaken under the microscope. The microscope provides a well-illuminated and magnified, operative field in which the bright red laser is positioned with great accuracy the laser beam can have precision up to even 0.1 mm or less, facilitating super fine work during surgery. |
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2. Bloodless Dissection
The laser beam will seal off all small blood vessels automatically as it cuts during surgery. This is of great importance as the blood loss is minimized, avoiding the need for blood transfusion and associated risks. |
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3. Minimal Instrumentation
The Diode Laser can be delivered through a 200 million flexible fiber. This is of vital importance where access is limited as in children and in small operating areas such as ear and voice surgery. |
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4. Reduces Spread of Cancer
By its property of sealing of blood vessels and lymph vessels immediately, the spread of cancer cells during operation is significantly reduced. Many open major surgeries can be avoided when the cancer is treated with the laser. |
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5. Quicker recovery
The laser beam works by instant vaporization of the tissue. This reduces the postoperative swelling and therefore means a quicker recovery with less pain for the patient. |
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| Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Centre |
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The video endoscopy system (VES) is a fairly new development in the ENT speciality. It is used in treating nose & sinus defects/disease such as Recurrent Nasal Polyps, Chronic Sinusitis & Recurrent Epistaxis. Virtually all nose & sinus problems can be treated using the system; the system is also used to screen/evaluate head & neck cancers.
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| Hearing & Speech Clinic |
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The HSC uses contemporary equipment to evaluate & diagnose various hearing disorders. Treatment for a wide range of speech & language disorders such as stammering, aphasia & different voice problems like hoarse voice, puberphonia and professional voice problems is also available at this clinic |
| Cochlear implant |
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It is an electronic device that helps deaf people to hear partially. This surgical implant in the inner ear is activated by a device worn outside the ear. |
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What is normal hearing?
The ear consists of three parts that play a vital role in hearing - the external ear, middle ear and the inner ear.
1. Conductive hearing: Sound travels along the ear canal of the external ear causing the ear drum to vibrate. Three small bones of the middle ear conduct this vibration from the ear drum to the cochlea (auditory chamber) of the inner ear.
2. Sensorineural hearing: When the three small bones move they start waves of the fluid in the cochlea, and these waves stimulate more than 16,000 delicate hearing cells (hair cells). As these hair cells move, they generate an electrical current in the auditory nerve. It travels through inter - connections to the brain area that recognizes it as a sound.
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Hearing is impaired how and why?
If there is disease or obstruction in the external or middle ear, your conductive transmission of hearing may be impaired. Medical or surgical treatment can correct this.
An inner ear problem; however, it can result in a sensorineural impairment or nerve deafness.
In most cases the hair cells are damaged and they do not function. Although many auditory nerve fibers may be intact and it can transmit electrical impulses to the brain, these nerve fibres are unresponsive because of hair cell damage which prevents sounds from being transmitted.
The severe sensorineural hearing loss cannot be corrected with medicine and it can only be treated by using a cochlear implant
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How do cochlear implants work?
These implants bypass damaged hair cells and it convert the speech and environmental sounds into electrical signals transmitting them to the hearing nerve directly.
The implant consists of a small electronic device, which is surgically implanted under the skin behind the ear and an external speech processor, which is usually worn on a belt or in a pocket.
A microphone is also worn outside the body as a headpiece behind the ear to capture incoming sound.
The speech processor translates the sound into distinctive electrical signals. These 'codes' travel up a thin cable to the headpiece and are transmitted across the skin via radio waves to the implanted electrodes in the cochlea.
The electrode signals stimulate the auditory nerve fibres to send information to the brain where it is interpreted as meaningful sound.
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Who can benefit from an implant surgeries?
Implants are designed only with individuals who attain almost no benefit from a hearing aid. They must be one years of age or older.
ENT Specialists perform implant. The local doctor can refer you to an implant clinic for an evaluation. The evaluation will be done by an implant team who will perform a series of tests.
Ear evaluation: The Doctor examines the middle and inner ear to ensure that no active infection or other abnormality precludes the implant surgery.
Hearing evaluation: The audiologist performs an extensive hearing test to find out how much you can hear with or without hearing aid.
X-Ray evaluation: X-Rays are taken, usually CT Scan or MRI Scans to evaluate the inner ear.
Psychological evaluation: Some patients may need a psychological evaluation to determine if they can cope with implant.
Physical examination: The Doctor also does a physical examination to identify any potential problems that may be encountered during general anesthesia needed for the implant procedure
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