AUSTIN ENT SERVICES AND TREATMENTS

As Austin’s leading ENT specialist, Dr. Bittar understands the impact ENT and allergy conditions may have on a patient’s overall quality of life. Below is a basic list of ear-nose-throat procedures that he performs with the help of the experienced Beau Visage Center team. Questions about which ENT treatment and procedure is best for you? Contact us today to schedule your consultation with Dr. Bittar!

We also offer audiology services to the Austin area. 

BILATERAL MYRINGOTOMY WITH PRESSURE EQUALIZATION TUBES (BMT)

This procedure, commonly performed on children, is performed when there is a history of recurrent middle-ear infections that are not resolving via treatments with antibiotics. Dr. Bittar makes incisions in both tympanic membranes (eardrums), suctions out infected fluid build-up behind the eardrum, and inserts pressure equalization tubes in the incision to keep the middle-ear space behind the eardrum open. This allows any subsequent build-up of fluid to safely drain out of the ear and prevents future middle-ear infections.

CHOLESTEATOMA SURGERY

A cholesteatoma is an abnormal growth of skin cells in the middle ear that expands and creates a physical impediment to the normal processing of sound, or a conductive hearing loss. Dr. Bittar diagnoses this condition by physical examination of the ear and a hearing test. The cholesteatoma is removed, since this growth can begin to eat away at the bones of the middle and inner ears, causing greater levels of hearing loss and becoming a more serious condition.

MASTOIDECTOMY

This procedure involves the removal of infected bone tissue from the mastoid bone, located behind the pinna or outer ear. A condition called mastoiditis, or infection of the mastoid bone can occur with a history of chronic, untreated middle-ear infections that begin to affect the surrounding bone tissue. The removal of the infected bone tissue will leave a larger space in the ear canal, or a mastoid cavity, that Dr. Bittar will have to regularly check and clean after the procedure.

SEPTOPLASTY (DEVIATED SEPTUM REPAIR)

This procedure is done to repair the septum, or the thin line of bone separating the two sides of the nose. A deviated or crooked septum is usually the result of a patient having broken his/her nose at some point in his/her life. This condition causes asymmetrical breathing, or breathing out of one side of the nose only, causing patients to not get adequate rest during sleep, or even stop breathing while sleeping (sleep apnea). After the septum is repaired, patients can breathe more effectively.

This non-cosmetic, corrective surgical procedure is done to straighten the nasal septum (the divide between the two nostrils). A deviated nasal septum can cause problems such as lack of airflow in the nose, mouth breathing, difficulty breathing during exercise, and sleep apnea. A septoplasty is considered “medically necessary” and therefore covered by most insurance companies.

STAPEDECTOMY/OSSICULAR CHAIN RECONSTRUCTION

This procedure is performed when the tiny bones located behind the eardrum (malleus, incus, and stapes) have become fused, typically via a condition called Otosclerosis. This condition creates a medically treatable hearing loss, or a conductive hearing loss, due to the hardening of the bones in the middle ear creating a physical impediment to the normal processing of sounds in the brain. The hardened bones are broken and an artificial joint is inserted that will mimic the functioning of normal middle-ear bones which will restore a portion of hearing in the majority of cases.

THYROIDECTOMY

This procedure involves the removal of the thyroid gland, which sits in the neck above the vocal cords. Removal of the thyroid gland becomes necessary when it becomes enlarged and begins to affect normal breathing and swallowing. Enlargement of the thyroid may be due to cancerous growth within the thyroid; to help in this diagnosis, Dr. Bittar will perform several studies including but not limited to thyroid ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration of thyroid cells.

TONSILLECTOMY/ADENOIDECTOMY (T/A)

This procedure is performed when there is a history of middle-ear infections and throat infections with a history of snoring and/or mouth breathing due to enlarged adenoid glands and tonsils. Dr. Bittar can perform this procedure in conjunction with bilateral BMT surgery, and it involves removing the adenoid glands, or pharyngeal tonsils that sit between the nasal passages and the back of the throat. When they are enlarged, they can block (partially or completely) the nasal passages preventing normal breathing and necessitating their removal. The tonsil glands that sit in the back of the throat can also become infected through repeated infections and can cause chronic sore throat, bad breath, and sleep apnea. Removal of both the tonsils and adenoids opens up the space between the nasal passages and the throat allowing for more effective breathing, a better ability to sleep undisturbed, and removing the infected material within the enlarged adenoids and tonsils.

TURBINATE REDUCTION/RESECTION

This procedure is often done in conjunction with a septoplasty, and it involves removing or reducing in size the turbinates, which are fleshy protrusions inside of the nasal cavities. These turbinates can become enlarged in size over time due to chronic nasal/sinus infections or via trauma, and when enlarged they create a physical impediment to the natural process of breathing. After surgery, Dr. Bittar places splints in the nose that remain there for one week while the nasal cavity heals, and once removed, the space in the nose is larger, allowing for better, more productive breathing through the nose.

TYMPANOPLASTY

This surgery is done to repair a damaged tympanic membrane (eardrum) that has a perforation due to trauma or chronic middle-ear infection. Dr. Bittar patches the perforation which will keep fluid out of the middle-ear space and restores any hearing loss that might have occurred due to the hole in the eardrum (conductive hearing loss).

LASER-ASSISTED UVULOPLASTY

If your snoring inhibits the amount and quality of sleep you are getting, laser-assisted uvuloplasty (LAUP) may be an effective option. LAUP is a surgical procedure that removes sections of the uvula and surrounding tissue to open the airway in the space behind the palate, relieving snoring as a result. It can also be used to treat sleep apnea, a condition that causes periodic lapses in breathing during sleep. LAUP is performed under local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure with little downtime.