Otolaryngology Unit
Otolaryngology – Head and Neck surgery (also commonly known as ENT, short for ear-nose-throat) is a medical specialty that deals with all medical conditions involving the ear, nose, oral cavity and throat. The scope of ENT is further extended to the larynx, upper trachea and the sinus cavities of the skull. Unlike general practitioners who can treat some medical conditions involving these areas, the scope of ENT also comprises surgery of the head and neck. The relative non-urgent nature of related symptoms, lack of awareness and information sometimes result in poor quality of life, progression to complications and subsequent suboptimal management. It is noteworthy that many ENT conditions are insidious, can cause great prejudice, both aesthetically and functionally, and can even be life threatening in some cases. The Buea Regional Hospital now disposes of an ENT Unit that provides basic care and solutions for patients with these conditions. Outstandingly, this is the only health facility in Buea and surroundings that has an ENT Unit. The services of this Unit encompass all the domains of the discipline, from basic ENT explorations, office procedures, minor and major surgery, as well as specific care that some patients might require, for instance users of tracheostomy tubes. Below is a non-exhaustive list of procedures available at very competitive and affordable costs, and exclusively dispensed at the Buea Regional Hospital.
- Explorations
- Video-endoscopy: Endoscopy of the ear, nose, pharynx, larynx
- Office Procedures
- Ear syringing or flushing for wax and debris in the external ear
- Nasal packing for nose bleeding
- Nasal cauterisation for recurrent and persistent nose bleeding
- Removal of ear, nose and throat foreign bodies
- Biopsies of various sites; facial skin, scalp, ear, nose, oral cavity, throat and other sites
- Adenectomy (lymph node biopsy)
- Reduction of temporo-mandibular joint dislocation
- Facial hypertrophic scar excision and repair
- Surgery
- Aesthetic repair of facial and neck lacerations
- Incision and drainage of superficial and deep abscesses of the face and neck
- Tracheostomy: realisation and care
- Nasal bone fracture repair; open or closed reduction technique
- Tonsillectomy
- Thyroidectomy; partial (hemi-, sub-total), total
- Turbinectomy, turbinoplasty
- Exploratory cervicotomy
- Sub-mandibular gland tumour excision
- Surgical Procedures Peculiar to Children
- Adenoidectomy for snoring in children and obstructive sleep apnoea
- Tonsillectomy for snoring, obstructive sleep apnoea and recurrent throat infections
- Thyroglossal cyst excision
- Ranula excision
- Tongue tie release: at birth, late childhood or adulthood
