Comprehensive ENT

At Columbia Otolaryngology, our ENT specialists provide expert care for ear, nose, and throat issues, as well as treatment for a wide variety of head and neck disorders. Some patients receive all their care from a comprehensive ENT physician, while others may be referred to one of our subspecialists to address more specific conditions.

What is Otolaryngology?

Otolaryngology is a medical specialty focused on the ears, nose, and throat. It is also called otolaryngology-head and neck surgery because specialists are trained in both medicine and surgery.  An otolaryngologist is often called an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor.

Otolaryngologists are qualified to perform many types of surgery on the delicate and complex tissues of the head and neck.

Conditions We Treat

Otolaryngologists treat conditions in the following areas:

• Ear: Otolaryngologists are trained in the medical and surgical treatment of hearing loss, ear infections, balance disorders, ear noise (tinnitus), nerve pain, and facial and cranial nerve disorders. They also manage congenital (birth) disorders of the outer and inner ear.
• Nose: Otolaryngologists care for the nasal cavity and sinuses by treating allergies, sinusitis, smell disorders, polyps, and nasal obstruction due to a deviated septum. They can also correct the appearance of the nose (rhinoplasty surgery).
• Throat: Otolaryngologists manage diseases of the larynx (voice box) and the upper aero-digestive tract or esophagus, including voice and swallowing disorders.
• Head and Neck: In the head and neck area, otolaryngologists are trained to treat infectious diseases, both benign and malignant (cancerous) tumors, facial trauma, and deformities of the face. They perform both cosmetic plastic and reconstructive surgery.
• Sleep apnea and sleep-disordered breathing: Being able to breathe and sleep well has an impact on the way we experience life and our health. Otolaryngologists treat sleep-disordered breathing, nasal and airway obstruction, snoring and sleep apnea, and more.