Department of Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery - University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden

About the Department of Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden

The Department of Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden offers the full range of diagnostics and treatment of ENT diseases. It admits patients of various age groups, including young children. The department specializes in the surgical treatment of head and neck tumors, navigation surgery for acoustic neuroma and skull base tumors, the placement of implantable hearing aids, ear and orbit microsurgery, as well as endoscopic surgery of the nose and paranasal sinuses, and plastic reconstructive surgery. The department includes the internationally recognized Cochlear Implant Center (SCIC). More than 3,000 inpatients receive medical care in the department annually. The department also provides many outpatient services, including outpatient surgery. If necessary, the treatment may be provided in a day patient facility. Since 2019, the department has state-of-the-art operating rooms – some of the best in Europe. More than 400 patients with head and neck tumors receive top-class treatment here every year. The patients are treated by competent doctors with a wealth of clinical experience and advanced technical resources for the restoration of ENT organs. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Dr.h.c. Thomas Zahnert.

The main department's focus is on the surgical treatment of benign and malignant ENT diseases and pathologies. Minor and low-risk interventions are performed on an outpatient basis. These include, for example, removal of tonsils, tympanic membrane perforation, tympanostomy tube insertion, tympanic cavity revision, repair of minor tympanic membrane defects, removal of the ear canal bony growths (exostoses), removal of individual cervical lymph nodes, interventions on the maxillary sinuses, etc. The patient can leave the hospital on the same day after the outpatient procedure.

More invasive surgical procedures are carried out on an inpatient basis, which include operations on the external (auricle and external auditory canal), middle (eardrum, auditory ossicles and ear mucosa) and internal (cochlear implant placement) ear. In the field of nasal surgery, corrective interventions are performed on the nasal septum and paranasal sinuses. The doctors also perform surgery for skull base injuries and pathologies. The department's distinctive feature is laser treatment of laryngeal tumors. Thanks to the use of the very latest laser technologies and precise control using a surgical microscope, high treatment success with the maximum possible organ preservation is ensured. Another important area of ​​the department's work is phonosurgery, namely, functionally oriented laryngeal surgery, the purpose of which is to preserve or restore the voice.

The department is highly competent in the surgical treatment of malignant diseases of the nasopharynx and oral cavity. The doctors most often deal with the treatment of various types of squamous cell carcinoma. To offer patients the optimal treatment regimen, a histological examination of the tumor is performed. Imaging diagnostic methods are also used, including MRI, CT, PET and ultrasound scanning, which provide additional clinically relevant information. Thanks to the use of the very latest surgical techniques, the use of laser surgery, ultrasonic scalpel, navigation surgery and plastic reconstructive surgery, the best treatment results are achieved and possible functional limitations after surgery are minimized. An experienced team of doctors and nursing staff works in the department for the benefit of patients. They make every effort to provide the patients with the best chance of recovery.

An important focus in the department's work is on cochlear implantation in adults and children. The prescription of the procedure for placing a cochlear implant is preceded by comprehensive diagnostics, which helps the doctors to assess the feasibility of this type of therapy. The diagnostic protocol includes the study of the patient's medical history, clinical examination with otomicroscopy, audiometry, tests to assess speech understanding with and without hearing aids, impedance audiometry, brainstem audiometry, assessment of auditory nerve function, imaging tests (CT and MRI of the head) and other diagnostic measures. If, according to the diagnostic results, cochlear implantation is indicated to a child, doctors prescribe surgery. Cochlear implantation is performed by some of the best German surgeons with long experience in this field. The duration of the operation is 1-1,5 hours. Postoperative recovery on an inpatient basis takes 4-6 days, depending on individual indications. To achieve an optimal result after cochlear implantation, a professional comprehensive rehabilitation is required. At the rehabilitation stage, the cochlear implant audio processor is individually adjusted. The specialists carry out special sessions to train hearing and speech (individually and in groups), as well as other necessary procedures. The regimen of hearing recovery after cochlear implantation in children and adults are different – young patients require longer and more intensive rehabilitation.

The department is certified as the Head and Neck Tumor Center by the German Cancer Society (DKG), which meets the highest competence and effectiveness of treatment in this medical field. The center deals with the treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the oral cavity, larynx, salivary glands, nasal cavity, sinuses, auricles, cervical soft tissues, scalp and neck. The study of the diagnostic results and the development of the treatment regimen take place at an interdisciplinary board with the participation of otolaryngologists, oncologists, radiation therapists and other specialists.

The department's surgical range of services includes the following options:

• Outpatient surgical interventions
  • Removal of nasopharyngeal tonsils
  • Eardrum puncture
  • Tympanic cavity revision
  • Repair of minor eardrum defects
  • Removal of the ear canal bony growths (exostoses)
  • Minimally invasive laryngeal surgery
  • Removal of individual cervical lymph nodes
  • Simple surgical procedures on the nasolacrimal canals
  • Maxillary sinus surgery
  • Removal of salivary gland stones and small cysts of the oral cavity
  • Excision of the salivary gland duct
• Inpatient surgical interventions
  • Ear surgery
    • Outer ear (auricle and external auditory canal)
    • Middle ear (eardrum, ossicles, and ear mucosa)
    • Inner ear (cochlear implant placement)
  • Head, nose, sinus and septic surgery
    • Corrective interventions on the nasal septum
    • Surgical treatment of paranasal sinuses
    • Surgical treatment of skull base injuries and pathologies
  • Laser surgery for laryngeal cancer
  • Partial laryngeal resection
  • Phonosurgery
    • Surgical treatment of benign changes in the vocal cords, polyps, cysts and chronic edema
  • Cochlear implantation in children and adults, including follow up rehabilitation
  • Surgical treatment of malignant tumors of the tongue / tonsils / neck
    • Various types of squamous cell carcinoma
    • Malignant lymphomas
    • Lymphoepithelial carcinoma
  • Plastic reconstructive surgery of the face and neck
• Other outpatient and inpatient surgical procedures