SPECIALIZATION
SEPTOPLASTY:
Surgery done to correct the deviation of the centre bone of the nose. If this bone is excessively deviated to one side it will block the nose resulting in poor ventilation and poor sinus drainage leading to sinusitis. It is done through the nostrils without any cuts on the face.
ENDOSCOPIC SINUS SURGERY : ALSO CALLED FESS ( Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery):
It is a form of surgery wherein through a camera inside of the sinuses are viewed and any blockade to sinus ventilation like polyps are removed. It ensures all sinu s entrances are open and all sinuses are ventilated. This is done commonly to prevent repeated attacks of sinusitis, to remove nasal polyps and sometimes to remove tumors inside the nose.
Adenoidectomy:
Adenoids are tonsil like lymph glands situated at the back of the nose. They can become enlarged due to repeated infections or allergy. In such situations an enlarged adenoid will block the back of the nose and may make normal breathing impossible. This condition is very common in children. Usually adenoids and tonsils shrink after around 5 years of age when your immune system matures. If persistent adenoid enlargement is present in spite of maximal medical treatment may need addressing. This is to ensure the child can breathe through the nose and also to prevent recurrent ear infections. Adenoidectomy essentially involves shaving of the adenoid tissue and making space for air to pass through the nose. Coblation is the latest technology wherein this can be done with very minimal bleeding.
Thyroidectomy:
Thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped organ situated in the lower neck in front of the windpipe. It has two lobes . Thyroidectomy involves removal of one lobe or whole of the gland. It is done in cases where there is enlargement of the gland due to excessive colloidal formation or due to tumors. Cancer also can occur in thyroid gland, but most of the time they are curable completely. If detected early surgical removal and some form of radi iodine therapy can ensure a normal healthy life span. Thyroid tumors are detected more in current times due to increased use of ultrasound examinations of neck which may be done for evaluation of other conditions. Thyroidectomy can be done through a small opening in neck. If patient is averse to scar in the neck it can be done by a scarless approach. In this situation thyroid gland is accessed through small keyhole cuts made in the arm pit and chest which are easily hidden under garments.
Oral cavity cancers (mouth cancer):
In India they are quite common because of the tobacco habit. They present as growths or swellings inside the mouth. Most of the time they are painless. Back of the mouth tumor can present with ear pain because of common nerve supply. Any ulcer in the mouth which is not healing and is present for more than 10 days need evaluation by your doctor. Sometimes cancer can occur in patients who do not have any tobacco habit. They can be cured if detected early.
Neck tumor removal (Head & Neck cancer):
Neck tumors can be of wide variety. Tumor literally means swelling any where in the body. Tumors can be either benign or malignant. Benign tumors do not shorten the life span, they may slowly grow and cause ugly appearance. Malignant tumors or cancers can cause death eventually. If left untreated they can spread to different body parts. Depending on the type of malignant tumor and where they arise from treatment needs to be decided Benign tumors can be removed without many side effects in most of the cases.
Snoring correction:
When breath passes through a narrow nasal or throat passage it will produce snoring noise. If your sleep is restorative and restful the snoring is harmless other than being a disturbance for your sleeping partner . But if your snoring is associated with repeated stops in breathing and brief episodes if awakening you may be suffering from sleep apnea. This is a potentially dangerous condition. Poor quality of sleep prevents body from resting and recharging in patients with apnea. This increases risk of heart disease and stroke. Snoring can be corrected by nasal airway widening procedures. You have to identity which part of the airway is narrow and widen only that area. Sleep apnea needs evaluation by sleep study which documents the breathing cessation episodes during sleep. First line of treatment for sleep apnea is positive pressure breathing device masks which have to be worn during sleep. This prevents airway from collapsing and blocking during sleep. In patients with physical obstruction of airway this may need to be addressed by surgery to deliver air to lungs easily Sometimes a combination of nasal and throat widening procedures may be required. These are tailor made for a particular patient based on the level of blockade in the nasal or throat passages
Oral pre cancerous lesion:
Pre cancerous is a condition which has a potential to become cancer. These are seen in patients who are addicted to tobacco either the smoke or smokeless variety Constant irritation from tobacco can cause white or red patch in the mouth lining . This may later transform into cancer if tobacco habit is not broken. These lesions are usually seen in areas where tobacco is kept like in the lower part of mouth or where the smoke from a cigarrette or beedi regularly hits the mouth. Most of the lesions disappear when you stop the tobacco abuse. They need regular monitoring by a trained health professional and may need to be removed if they show any changes.
What is biopsy?
Biopsy means taking a small part of a swelling to see it under the microscope .This procedure is absolutely essential to know what we are dealing with and to plan appropriate treatment. Biopsy is not a treatment.
Thyroglossal cyst :
Thyroglossal cyst is a small swelling which involves midpart of the neck. They arise from remnants of thyroid tissue in the neck. In some cases they may produce discharge intermittently. It may need removal if the swelling is getting bigger or the patient is bothered by regular discharge. The operation to remove athyroglossal cyst is called Sistrunk’s operation
What is microlaryngeal surgery?
Larynx is the voice box. Surgery to remove small tumors arising in the voice box needs magnification. These surgeries are done by visualising the voice box with a microscope or endoscope. This shows the minute details of the area and helps in removing the tumor with no damage to the normal tissues.
Laser assisted vocal cord surgery:
Small swellings in the voice box can be effectively removed by using laser surgery. Laser cuts very precisely without destroying the normal tissues. Laser is commonly used tool in the voice box even for cancers.
What are vocal cord polyps?
Vocal cord polyps are small tumors arising from vocal cords. They can cause voice change, making the voice hoarse. They need to be removed to improve the voice quality and to reduce voice strain. This procedure is called microlaryngeal surgery because vocal cords have to be visualised under magnification to reduce the damage to normal tissues. Usually this procedure is done using laser.
What are lymph nodes?
Lymph nodes are small glands that filter lymph. Lymph is the clear fluid that circulates through the body. Lymph nodes contain white blood cells and they act as immune check points which filter out bacteria,virus and other unhealthy cells from our blood.They swell up and can be felt under the skin in our neck , arm pit or groin during infections. Any lymph nodes which are presistently swollen even after the infection settles may be abnormal. If the enlargement is present for more that 10 days you need to meet your doctor. Sometimes uncommon conditions like tuberculosis and cancer can cause lymph nodes to swell up. In such cases a biopsy or sampling of the lymph node tissue may be required to identify the cause of the swelling.
What is allergic rhinitis?
If you have runny nose, redness and soreness of eyes, watering of eyes along with repeated bouts of sneezing you may have allergic rhinitis. It happens if you are allergic to anything and you happen to be exposed