|
Tonsillectomy
 The tonsils are masses of lymphoid tissue in the back of the throat. Tonsils can become painful and/or enlarged for a number of reasons. When they do become a problem, they can cause any of a variety of symptoms including sore throat, fever, sleep apnea, bad breath, and difficulty swallowing or breathing.
If medicine fails to resolve the problem, tonsils may be removed during a brief surgical procedure. The Ear Nose & Throat Centers of Texas utilize the latest surgical techniques and equipment (including Coblation Tonsillectomy) to optimize both patient safety and speed of recovery.
Adenoidectomy
Like the tonsils, the adenoids are masses of lymphoid tissue in the back of the nose. They are also prone to infection and enlargement. This can lead to sore throats, ear infections, nasal drainage and congestion, sinusitis, and breathing problems including sleep apnea in children.
If antibiotics or steroids fail to resolve the problem, the adenoids may be removed in a procedure called adenoidectomy. You can read more about that procedure here.
Myringotomy with Tube Insertion
 Known by a variety of names such as BMT’s (bilateral myringotomy with tubes), T&T (tympanostomy and tube insertion), and PET’s (pressure equalization tube insertion), the procedure is the same. These temporary tubes are inserted through a small incision in the ear drum (TM or tympanic membrane) to help equalize pressure and eliminate infection and fluid in the ears. You can read more about this, the most common procedure performed on children in the United States, here.
Sinus Surgery
Also known by a variety of names including FESS (functional endoscopic sinus surgery) this procedure is used when medicine fails to clear sinusitis. Modern advances in medical technology allow for a minimally invasive procedure with less post-operative pain and shorter recovery time than ever before. Three-dimensional imaging provides the surgeon with real-time visualization of the patient’s sinuses to help avoid damage to neighboring structures such as the brain and eyes. Good information on sinusitis can be found here.
Both Dr. Champion and Dr. Thrasher have extensive experience in sinus surgery utilizing the most innovative techniques available. In fact, Dr. Thrasher was one of the first 100 surgeons in the US to be trained to perform Balloon Sinuplasty®. Dramatically decreasing recovery time and pain with equivalent results to traditional surgery, sinuplasty is similar to angioplasty for the heart. A balloon is used to dilate the openings of the sinuses without the standard cutting used in traditional methods. For more information regarding balloon sinuplasty including an animated demonstration of the technique, click here.
Back to Top
Septoplasty
The septum is a structure made of bone and cartilage that spans the nasal cavity from the nostrils to the back of the throat. In many people the septum has a slight bend, making one side of the nasal cavity smaller than the other. In some cases the deviation is significant enough to cause problems including congestion, sinusitis, nosebleeds, and breathing difficulties.
Septoplasty re-shapes the cartilage and bone of the septum to improve air flow through the nose. It may be combined with cosmetic improvements to the nose (in which case it is called septorhinoplasty). At the Ear Nose & Throat Centers of Texas, we use the most minimally invasive endoscopic techniques to improve outcomes and decrease recovery time.
Sleep Apnea Surgery
When tissues at the back of the throat collapse partly while sleeping, snoring results. When they collapse to the degree that airflow ceases, obstructive sleep apnea occurs. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) suffer from poor sleep quality, fatigue, and health risks including heart disease, high blood pressure. One of the problems associated with sleep apnea is that the mouth’s soft palate partially or totally blocks the patient’s airway.
Dr. Thrasher is a leader and innovator in sleep apnea surgery. He is one of only a handful of surgeons in the country performing a unique surgery on the base of the tongue for sleep apnea and has been featured on both DFW NBC news as well as D Magazine for his special skills. The Ear Nose & Throat Centers of Texas provide a full spectrum of counseling and offer a wide range of treatment options for sleep apnea from CPAP to these highly advanced surgical options.
Pillar Procedure
Snoring is most often caused by vibration of the palate (the roof of the mouth) and typically does not improve without intervention, but no over-the-counter treatments have proven effective. There are a wide variety of procedures available now to improve or eliminate snoring. Perhaps one of the most popular (because it is very effective, minimally invasive, and has a very short recovery time) is the Pillar Procedure, a technique that is available at The Ear, Nose, and Throat Centers of Texas. You can learn more about that procedure here.
Back to Top
See more procedures > >
|
