Some ENT problems require surgical intervention. The good news is that minimally invasive surgical options can have significant benefits for patients, including a shorter surgery with a faster recovery, less post-operative pain, and few, if any, scars.

Some of the leading edge minimally-invasive ENT surgery procedures performed at MedStar Georgetown include:

• Balloon sinuplasty: This procedure is designed to enlarge the opening of the sinuses to improve air circulation. Your physician threads a catheter up through the nasal passages to the sinus opening with no incisions needed. As the balloon at the catheter's tip is inflated, it causes micro-breaks to the paper-thin bones of the sinuses, enlarging the sinuses without disrupting their delicate lining.
• Coblation: Coblation technology gently dissolves target tissues, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues. Coblation works by delivering ultrasonic waves and low heat to the tissue. This technology can frequently be performed with minimal pain.
• Endoscopic sinus surgery: Sinus surgery can treat chronic sinusitis (recurrent inflammation and infection of the lining of the sinuses) or frequent sinus headaches, but traditional surgery can leave scars and can disrupt the delicate sinus tissues. Using a small lighted tube called an endoscope, our ENT surgeons can correct sinus problems from the inside, eliminating the need for incisions.
• Head and neck cancer surgery: ENT physicians perform surgery to remove tumors in the head and neck, working closely with medical and radiation oncology experts as part of a patient's cancer treatment team.
• Neck Dissection: Neck dissection refers to the removal of lymph nodes and surrounding tissue from the neck for the purpose of cancer treatment.  Several types of neck dissection exist, including
  • Selective:  Least extensive
  • Modified:  More extensive
  • Radical: Most extensive
• Obstructive sleep apnea: Working closely with sleep disorders specialists, our ENT surgeons can treat obstructive sleep apnea by removing some of the tissue that is obstructing the patient's airway.
• Parotidectomy: The parotid glands lie in front of and below the ear. They form saliva that drains into the mouth. Benign or malignant tumors can develop in these glands and will present as a lump in front of or below the ear. Most tumors are benign and are present for several months with little or no growth. Malignant tumors may cause facial nerve weakness, lymph node enlargement, or pain at the site of the tumor.
  • Most tumors lie in the portion of the gland above the facial nerve, so the tumor can be removed without injury to the facial nerve. This is known as a superficial parotidectomy.
  • When the tumor requires dissection both above and below the facial nerve, the procedure is called total parotidectomy.
• Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery: Our facial reconstructive surgeons are recognized experts in repairing complex defects from cancer and trauma, and our cosmetic surgeons offer the full spectrum of facial procedures.We rely on the latest techniques in the field, including microvascular surgery, where we use tissue from other body areas to correct deficits in the head and neck. You can read more about facial reconstructive and cosmetic surgery here.
• Septoplasty: In some cases, the cartilage and bone separating the nasal cavities (called the nasal septum) is crooked. If this interferes with breathing, septoplasty may be performed to correct the septum's alignment or to remove the crooked portions. This procedure is performed from inside the nose, which means there are no external cuts or scars on the face.
• Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy: If a patient's tonsils and/or adenoids frequently become inflamed or infected, the best course of action is often to remove them.

Learn more about the conditions and treatments addressed by our medical experts:

• Audiology: hearing loss and balance conditions
• Allergy
• Head and neck cancer
• Pediatric ear nose and throat conditions
• Salivary gland conditions
• Sinus and nasal conditions (Rhinology)
• Voice and swallowing disorders (Laryngology)
• Cochlear implants
• ENT Surgery
• Speech-language pathology
• Facial plastic and reconstructive surgery
• Newborn hearing screening
• Minimally invasive skull-base surgery
• Snoring and sleep surgery
• Thyroid surgery
• Parathyroid surgery