Department of Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery - HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal

About the Department of Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal

The Department of Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at the HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal offers the full range of diagnostic services, conservative and surgical treatment of ENT diseases. In addition, the department provides treatment for head and neck malignancies (in interdisciplinary cooperation with highly qualified specialists). Medical care is provided to both adult patients and children of all age groups. In complex clinical cases, the treatment is carried out on an inpatient basis, but many diagnostic procedures, minor emergency and planned interventions are performed on an outpatient basis. The team of the department's doctors prefers the use of the most sparing treatment methods, and therefore most surgical procedures are performed using endoscopic and minimally invasive surgical techniques. Prior to starting treatment, the patient undergoes comprehensive diagnostics, based on the results of which the optimal treatment regimen is developed. The department's doctors are highly qualified professionals in their area of specialization and constantly improve their skills. Their main task is to restore the patient's health using advanced treatment methods. The department is headed by Dr. med. Lars Stöbe.

Over the years, the medical facility has accumulated a wealth of experience in the treatment of middle ear diseases, which often cause serious hearing impairment. Of particular interest to otolaryngologists is low-traumatic surgical treatment. The department regularly performs interventions for middle ear inflammation, interventions to restore the ossicular chain using autologous tissues or titanium implants, operations to implant a tympanostomy tube for the treatment of effusion in the tympanic cavity, surgery for traumatic tympanic membrane perforation, chronic otitis media and сholesteatoma.

Doctors also often admit patients with paranasal sinus infections. The specialists pay due attention to the diagnostics of pathology, since in the absence of timely pharmacotherapy, the inflammatory process becomes chronic and causes serious complications, the most common of which is the formation of nasal polyps. In this case, surgery is inevitable.

Another priority focus of the department's team of doctors is on the treatment of salivary diseases, including tumors. The tumors developing in the salivary glands are most often benign, grow slowly, and do not cause any symptoms. To detect neoplasms in the salivary gland, it is usually sufficient to study the patient's medical history, carry out a clinical and ultrasound examinations of the neck. If the diagnostic data obtained is insufficient to make an accurate diagnosis, CT or MRI scanning of the neck is additionally appointed. The department performs low-traumatic surgery for the treatment of benign salivary tumors. During the intervention, neuromonitoring systems are necessarily used to prevent damage to the facial nerves. Salivary gland malignancies are extremely rare in clinical practice. The treatment tactics in such cases are developed at an interdisciplinary tumor board. The department's otolaryngologists also provide effective treatment for inflammatory diseases of the salivary glands and successfully perform endoscopic interventions (sialendoscopy) to remove salivary gland stones.

An integral part of the department's clinical work is the treatment of malignant head and neck tumors. Tumors of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, oral cavity, throat and larynx are diagnosed quite often, and their treatment is a rather complex clinical task. As in many other cancers, tumor resection surgery is the first-line treatment. The department's surgeons use only advanced surgical techniques for head and neck tumor resection – endoscopic, minimally invasive and laser operations. When performing the operation, the specialists set themselves the task of not only saving the patient from oncology, but also providing a good cosmetic result. In addition, it is extremely important to preserve the integrity of the anatomical structures in the area of ​​the surgical field and to prevent the development of swallowing, breathing or speech disorders. In addition to surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy is often required, which are carried out by highly qualified specialists.

The department also offers the full range of services in the field of pediatric otolaryngology. The team of doctors of the medical facility admit young patients with such pathologies as snoring, sleep-related breathing disorders, enlarged tonsils, hearing loss caused by effusion in the tympanic cavity, and middle ear infectious lesions. Pediatricians are often involved in the therapeutic process. If possible, drug therapy is carried out. Surgical treatment usually includes minor operations performed on an outpatient basis.

The department's main clinical focuses include:

• Diagnostics and treatment of ear diseases
  • Inflammatory middle ear lesions
  • Ossicular pathologies
  • Tympanic effusion
  • Traumatic tympanic membrane perforation 
  • Chronic otitis media
  • Cholesteatoma
• Diagnostics and treatment of nasal and paranasal sinus disease
  • Nasal and paranasal sinus inflammatory diseases (acute and chronic) 
• Diagnostics and treatment of salivary gland diseases
  • Inflammatory salivary gland diseases
  • Non-inflammatory salivary gland diseases
  • Salivary gland stones
  • Benign salivary gland tumors
• Diagnostics and treatment of malignant head and neck tumors
  • Nasal and paranasal sinus malignancies
  • Oral cavity malignancies
  • Pharyngeal malignancies
  • Laryngeal malignancies
  • Salivary gland malignancies
• Diagnostics and treatment of ENT diseases in children
  • Snoring and other sleep-related breathing disorders
  • Enlarged tonsils
  • Hearing loss due to effusion in the tympanic cavity
  • Middle ear infections
• Diagnostics and treatment of other diseases

The department's range of therapeutic services includes:

• Conservative treatment
  • Pharmacotherapy
• Surgery
  • Endoscopic interventions
  • Minimally invasive interventions
  • Laser interventions
  • Classic open surgery
• Other medical services