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PROCEDURES
Dr Andrew Chang is an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) specialist who performs the following surgical procedures. Read more about these procedures and what is involved in the following sections:
A cochlear implant is a medical device that takes over the job of cochlea hair cells and allows the wearer to ‘hear’ sounds again, although this is a little different to normal hearing. Dr Chang is one of Australia’s best trained surgeons in the implantation of cochlear implants and specialises in their use in both children and adults.
Bonebridge implants, Vibrant Soundbridges and Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA) are middle ear implants which transmit sound captured on a small external device to the inner ear via a process known as ‘bone conduction’. Dr Chang pioneered the use of Vibrant Soundbridge implants in Queensland and is a leading surgeon in the use of all middle ear implants.
Myringoplasty is the medical term for the surgical procedure to repair damage (also known as a ‘perforated ear drum’ or ‘burst ear drum’) and is often combined with a repair of the ossicular chain in the middle ear (an Ossiculoplasty).
Blockage of the eustachian tube, which links the middle ear to the back of the nose, is associated with hearing loss and other symptoms. The use of a balloon to clean or widen the eustachian tube has been recently introduced in Australia and Dr Chang is one of the first surgeons in Queensland to perform this operation.
A cholesteatoma is an abnormal skin growth behind the ear drum in the middle ear – the word literally means a ‘growth made of wax’. Dr Chang specialises in the use of minimally invasive techniques for the removal of cholesteatomas.
Otosclerosis is a form of abnormal bone growth within the middle ear, at the base of the stapes bone. Dr Chang specialises in minimally invasive Stapedectomy surgery for the removal of the stapes and its replacement with a prothesis.
This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure to remove diseased tissue or any tissue blocking airways and/or drainage from the sinuses. It is often combined with Septoplasty and/or the reduction of the inferior turbinates.
A deviated septum (the structure which divides the two airways of the nose) can cause difficulties breathing. During a Septoplasty the septum is repositioned into the middle of the nasal cavity. This procedure is also performed using minimally invasive methods.
It may be necessary to remove the tonsils and/or adenoids when these have become enlarged after multiple infections. This can interfere with breathing and block the eustachian tubes. Dr Chang commonly performs this operation in children, but also in adults.
A grommet is a small metal or plastic tube around 2mm wide. It is surgically inserted into the eardrum to reduce pressure caused by fluid build up in the middle ear behind the eardrum. Dr Chang commonly uses grommets in the treatment of children and can also treat adults in his rooms without the need for hospitalisation.
The larynx is the medical term for your upper windpipe where your voicebox and vocal cords are located. ‘Laryngoscopy’ describes the process of examining the larynx, although devices now used to examine can also perform some types of surgery at the same time as the examination.