The Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston
Department of Otorhinolaryngology

ORL Progress Notes

Summer 2009 Articles

Welcome!

We’re pleased to present the first issue of ORL Progress Notes, a biannual update on the otorhinolaryngology service at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. In this issue you’ll find notes on progress to date in our rhinology, laryngology, and research programs, as well as an overview of our new pediatric ENT program. At the end of each article, you’ll find a Web address that will take you to our new ORL Progress Notes web site for the complete story.

If you would like to discuss or refer a patient, or if you have questions about our program, please call our clinic line at 713.486.5000 or visit us on the Web at www.ut-ent.org. We’re here to help.

Martin J. Citardi, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Professor and Chair, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Chief of Otorhinolaryngology, Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center

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Designing the Future: ORL’s New Office Space Features High-Tech Tools

The UT Department of Otorhinolaryngology now occupies new clinical space on the 27th floor of the Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza, consolidating the outpatient ENT services previously offered by UT Physicians and Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. The state-of-the-art office suite, designed with an emphasis on patient comfort and physician efficiency, features 16 fully equipped exam rooms, a voice lab, a nasal physiology lab, four audiology booths, and a two-room procedure suite. Each exam room is equipped with a dedicated video tower with image archive capacity, as well as the capability to project patient images on a 32-inch flat-panel screen.

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The Comprehensive Voice Program: From Advanced Office-Based Procedures to Community Outreach

New technology is allowing Ronda E. Alexander, M.D., a fellowship-trained laryngologist at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and the new UT-Houston Texas Voice Performance Institute to perform many minimally invasive procedures safely in the office, improving patient satisfaction and reducing the overall cost of treatment.

“We can now perform biopsies and remove very selected lesions in the office, saving certain patients a trip to the OR,” says Dr. Alexander, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

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Rhinology Update: Advanced Rhinology Concepts CME Scheduled for November

Mark your calendars for the 2009 Advanced Rhinology Concepts (ARC) CME event, scheduled for November 6–8, 2009, in Houston. A hands-on laboratory session — featuring endoscopic surgical and video equipment, image-guidance technology, powered instrumentation, and cadaveric specimens — will be available.

The guest of honor at the event will be David W. Kennedy, M.D., F.A.C.S., professor of otorhinolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia. Dinner keynote speaker will be Daniel L. Hamilos, M.D., chief of the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology at Massachusetts General Hospital. Other faculty include Seth Kanowitz, M.D., Stilianos Kountakis, M.D., and Jin Keat Siow, M.D.

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Comprehensive Rhinology Program Offers State-of-the-Art Care for Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis Refractory to Standard Treatments

The Comprehensive Sinus Program, a joint effort of Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical and the Texas Sinus Institute (TSI), is founded on four related and interdependent spheres: excellence in patient care, quality education for patients and healthcare professionals, incorporation of new technologies, and development of new therapeutics through translational research.

Samer Fakhri, M.D., and his partners, Amber Luong, M.D., Ph.D., and Martin J. Citardi, M.D., form the core of TSI, which offers expertise in the medical and surgical management of sinus and nasal disorders with special focus on fungal and refractory chronic rhinosinusitis. “The population of the southern parts of the country, especially eastern Texas and the Mississippi Basin, is particularly affected by a distinct and aggressive form of chronic rhinosinusitis referred to as allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS),” says Dr. Fakhri.

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From Bench to Bedside with New Treatments for Chronic Sinus Disease

Since her September 2008 arrival at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Amber Luong, M.D., Ph.D., has focused her attention on building a translational otorhinolaryngology research program from the ground up. Her primary interest centers on understanding the pathophysiology of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) as a model for studying immune dysregulation of the paranasal sinuses. “Our research goal is the development of more directed clinical treatment options for AFRS and other conditions that are difficult to manage medically and surgically,” says Dr. Luong, who is an assistant professor in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the UT Medical School.

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Soham Roy, M.D., Named Director of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology

Internationally recognized speaker and author Soham Roy, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P., has been named director of pediatric otorhinolaryngology for Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital (CMHH) and The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. In his new role, Dr. Roy will coordinate a revitalized pediatric ENT service at Children’s Memorial Hermann.

“Our team will provide all aspects of pediatric ENT care, including medical and surgical management of head and neck masses, complex diseases of the ear, hearing loss, and management of complex airway disorders, including subglottic stenosis, laryngotracheomalacia, and sleep apnea,” says Dr. Roy, who is an associate professor in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the UT Medical School. “Working in conjunction with other pediatric subspecialists, we provide a range of tertiary care procedures.”

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