Department of Otolaryngology

Otorhinolaryngology is the type of medical specialty that drives the layperson to despair, both of pronouncing the word properly and of having any notion of what it means. The words ear, nose, and throat are quite clear, however, and that is what is meant by oto–, rhino–, and laryngo–, which are the forms of Greek ous, “ear,” rhīs, “nose,” and larunx, “larynx or upper part of the windpipe,” respectively, when used in combination with other word forms.

The Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Reconstructive Surgery is staffed by five consultants encompassing a broad range of sub specialities.

Consultants have joint appointments with Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children Crumlin, St Vincents Hospital and St James’s Hospital.

Two consultants hold undergraduate Associate Professor positions – one affiliated to UCD and the other to Trinity College. Non-consultant hospital staff includes three specialist registrars and five senior house officers.

Consultants:

Professor Conrad Timon

Mr. Stephen Hone

Ms Tara Mackle

Outpatient Department

There are currently six consultant led ENT-HN clinics held each week.

These are staffed by the consultant, junior staff and nurses. In addition there is one clinic each week specifically for children. This clinic is run by experienced ENT specialist registrars and is covered by a consultant on a rotating basis.

Theatre

  • There are nine theatre sessions weekly with an annual through put of approximately 2,500 elective cases.
  • Emergency theatre cover is provided twenty-four hours a day seven days a week including holidays. A consultant, specialist registrar and a senior house officer is on call at all times. A senior house officer is in the hospital at all times.
  • Types of surgery: The Eye and Ear hospital ENT theatre is amongst the best equipped ENT theatres in the country. The surgeons provide a full range of surgical experience and most operative adult and paediatric procedures are catered for.
  • Equipment: The ENT theatres are fully equipped for all commonly performed procedures. In addition more complex surgery is aided by a navigation system, state of the art microscopes and endoscopy systems.
  • A CO2 LASER is also available for procedures such as excision of laryngeal papillomas. All equipment necessary for minimally invasive head and neck surgery is available.

Common Otolaryngological procedures performed:

Otology: microscopic inspection and debridement, myringotomy and grommet insertion, myringoplasty, tympanoplasty, ossiculoplasty, stapedetomy,

Rhinology: septoplasty, septorhinoplasty, turbinate surgery, endoscopic sinus surgery.

Laryngology: microlaryngeal surgery, LASER surgery.

Facial Plastic surgery: excision of skin lesions with plastic reconstruction, pinnaplasty, rhinoplasty, scar revision.

Head and Neck surgery: oesophagoscopy, bronchoscopy, tracheostomy, parotidectomy, thyroidectomy, excision of neck lumps, neck dissections, laryngectomy, minimally invasive head and neck surgery.

Other: tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, release of tongue-tie, palatal surgery.