Department of Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery - Hospital Cologne-Holweide

About the Department of Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Hospital Cologne-Holweide

The Department of Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at the Hospital Cologne-Holweide provides the full range of medical services in the areas of its competence. The department specializes in comprehensive diagnostics of ENT pathologies and conservative and surgical treatment of nasal, paranasal sinus, pharyngeal, laryngeal, and ear diseases. Patients of all age groups, including children and adolescents, are treated in the department. The medical facility is distinguished by its excellent results in the treatment of malignant head and neck tumors, which are confirmed by the quality certificate from the German Cancer Society (DKG). The Cochlear Implant Center operates in the department, where specialists place implants for adults and children with severe hearing loss and total deafness. This center is the first in the region to perform surgery for the placement of the innovative fully implantable Esteem device. When performing surgical interventions on the ENT organs, the department's doctors use endoscopic, microsurgical, and minimally invasive techniques, thanks to which there are practically no risks for the patient's health, and recovery in the postoperative period is quite fast. State-of-the-art laser technologies are also available in the health facility. A large number of surgical procedures are performed on an outpatient basis. The Head Physician of the department is Prof. Dr. med. Steffen Maune.

Hearing impairments are a serious problem for patients, which significantly worsens the quality of life, complicates the performance of everyday tasks, and provokes the development of psychological disorders. The first-line treatment is drug therapy, but in many cases, only surgery can provide the best result. Depending on the particular clinical case, a mastoidectomy, stapedoplasty, tympanoplasty, myringotomy, or cochlear implant placement may be indicated for a patient with hearing loss. The department also performs surgery to implant the world's first fully implantable Esteem device for hearing improvement. All surgical interventions are performed in the department using minimally invasive techniques.

Cochlear implantation is the most advanced treatment method for severe hearing loss or total deafness in children and adults. The surgical procedure is performed at a specialized center whose team consists of otolaryngologists, audiologists, speech therapists, and other experts. A cochlear implant consists of the following two parts: an outer and an inner part. The outer part is shaped like a hearing aid and is fixed by a magnet on the back and top of the ear. The inner part is surgically implanted under the skin. The duration of surgery to place the cochlear implant is about 2 hours, and it is performed under general anesthesia. Following surgery, patients stay at the hospital for at least 5 days, and the final treatment outcome is assessed after 1-2 months, following hearing and speech rehabilitation.

The team of the department's doctors excels at treating nasal cavity and paranasal sinus disorders. Of particular interest is the implementation of such surgical interventions as argon plasma coagulation and radiofrequency surgery on the nasal conchae, septoplasty, rhinoplasty (if clinically indicated and for nose reshaping), operations for recurrent nasal bleeding, etc. As a rule, surgeons use minimally traumatic techniques during interventions.

A wide range of surgical options is also available for patients with pharyngeal, laryngeal, and salivary gland disorders. A tonsillectomy is a highly demanded procedure for children, during which the department's specialists remove the palatine tonsils. In addition to a classical approach, a tonsillectomy can also be performed using argon plasma coagulation or laser techniques. Another important focus in this field is the surgical resection of oral and pharyngeal malignancies with follow-up reconstructive plastic surgery.

The department's diagnostic options include:

• Audiometry
  • Subjective audiometry
    • Assessment of whispered and conversational speech perception distance and tuning fork tests
    • Tone threshold audiometry
    • Speech audiometry
    • High frequency audiometry
    • Suprathreshold tone audiometry
  • Audiometry for children
    • Newborn hearing screening based on otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem response test
    • Play audiometry
    • Tympanometry and registration of the stapedial reflex
  • Objective audiometry
    • Brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA)
    • Otoacoustic emissions
• Otoneurological examinations
  • Computer-assisted rotational testing
  • Vestibulometry
  • Videonystagmography
  • Caloric testing
  • Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials
• Nasal function testing
  • Rhinomanometry
  • Smell test
• Imaging tests
  • B-mode ultrasound scanning
  • Duplex ultrasonography
  • Fine needle aspiration biopsy and ultrasound-guided needle biopsy
  • Computed tomography
  • Magnetic resonance imaging
  • Videoendostroboscopy
• Other diagnostic methods

The department's range of surgical services includes:

• Surgery for hearing loss and ear diseases
  • Surgical resection of benign and malignant tumors of the auricle and external auditory canal with follow-up plastic reconstruction
  • Ear reshaping  (otoplasty)
  • Surgical removal of parotid fistulas
  • Surgery for traumatic injuries of the soft tissues of the auricle and external auditory canal
  • Surgery for stenosis and exostoses of the external auditory canal
  • Surgery for traumatic tympanic membrane injuries
  • Paracentesis and tympanic membrane drainage
  • Surgery for hearing improvement: type 1 tympanoplasty, mastoidectomy, cholesteatoma removal, stapedoplasty, placement of cochlear implants and Esteem innovative fully implantable device
• Surgery for nasal and paranasal sinus diseases
  • Classic interventions, argon plasma coagulation, and radiofrequency surgery on the nasal conchae
  • Surgery for chronic frequent nosebleeds
  • Endoscopic and microsurgical interventions on the paranasal sinuses
  • Septoplasty
  • Rhinoplasty
• Surgery for diseases of the neck organs
  • Surgery for a parapharyngeal abscess
  • Surgery for median cervical cysts
  • Surgery for benign and malignant skin and soft tissues tumors on the neck
  • Neck dissection
• Surgery for oral, pharyngeal, and salivary gland diseases
  • Adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy in adults and children
  • Surgery for oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, and salivary gland malignancies followed by reconstructive plastic surgery
  • Surgical removal of salivary gland stones
  • Surgery for sublingual salivary gland lesions
  • Surgery for submandibular salivary gland lesions
  • Parotidectomy (subtotal and total)
  • Facial nerve reconstructive surgery to repair its paralysis
  • Classical, laser, and radiofrequency interventions for snoring
• Surgery for laryngeal, tracheal, laryngeal part of the pharynx, and esophageal diseases
  • Removal of foreign bodies from the larynx, trachea, and esophagus
  • Microsurgical and endolaryngeal operations for resection of benign and malignant laryngeal tumors
  • Partial laryngeal resections and total laryngectomy
  • Surgery for laryngeal cancer
  • Tracheotomy and tracheostomy
• Surgery for injuries and diseases of the facial skeleton and facial soft tissues
  • Surgical resection of benign and malignant tumors of the facial skin and soft tissues, as well as follow-up reconstructive plastic surgery to close defects
  • Surgery for midfacial fractures, especially those affecting the eye orbit, nose, and paranasal sinuses
  • Scar revision
  • Blepharoplasty
• Other surgical interventions