ENT

Question 1

What is a tracheostomy?

Answer 1

• A hole that surgeons make through the front of the neck and into the trachea
• A tracheostomy tube provides an air passage to help the patient breathe when the usual route for breathing is somehow blocked or reduced

Question 2

What are the reasons for a tracheostomy?

Answer 2

• On a ventilator for an extended period
• Medical conditions that block or narrow the airway, such as vocal cord paralysis or throat cancer
• Paralysis, neurological problems or other conditions that make it difficult to cough up secretions from the throat and require direct suctioning of the trachea to clear the airway
• Preparation for major head or neck surgery to assist breathing during recovery
• Severe trauma to the head or neck
• Other emergency situations

Question 3

What is a laryngectomy?

Answer 3

• A surgery to remove part of all of the larynx (voice box)
• To treat laryngeal cancer or severe larynx damage

Question 4

What is a neck dissection?

Answer 4

• A surgery to examine and remove the lymph nodes in the neck that may contain cancer

Question 5

What are the 3 main types of neck dissection?

Answer 5

• Radical neck dissection
• Modified radical neck dissection
• Selective neck dissection

Question 6

What is radical neck dissection?

Answer 6

• All the tissue on the side of the neck from the jawbone to the collarbone is removed
• The muscle, nerve, salivary gland, and major blood vessel in this area are all removed

Question 7

What is modified radical neck dissection?

Answer 7

• This is the most common type
• All lymph nodes are removed
• Less neck tissue is taken out than with radical dissection
• This surgery may also spare the nerves in the neck and, sometimes, the blood vessels or muscles

Question 8

What is selective neck dissection?

Answer 8

• If cancer has not spread far, fewer lymph nodes have to be removed
• The muscle, nerve, and blood vessel in the neck may also be saved

Question 9

Why are neck dissections performed?

Answer 9

• The lymph system carries white blood cells around the body to fight infection
• Cancer cells in the mouth or throat can travel in the lymph nodes and get trapped in the lymph nodes
• The lymph nodes are removed to prevent cancer from spreading to other parts of the body and to decide if any more treatment is needed

Question 10

What is a glossectomy?

Answer 10

• The surgical removal of your tongue
• The procedure is used to treat tongue cancer when other treatment methods haven’t been successful
• Some people only need a portion of their tongue removed. In some cases, tissue is taken from other parts of your body to create a new tongue

Question 11

What is a thyroidectomy?

Answer 11

• The surgical removal of all or part of the thyroid gland
• The thyroid is the butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of the neck
• It makes hormones that control every part of your metabolism, from your heart rate to how quickly you burn calories

Question 12

What is otitis externa?

Answer 12

• A condition that causes inflammation of the external ear canal, which is the tube between the outer ear and eardrum
• AKA swimmer’s ear because repeated exposure to water can make the ear canal more vulnerable to inflammation, as it creates a moist environment that aids the growth of bacteria

Question 13

What is tonsillitis?

Answer 13

• When the tonsils at the back of the throat become swollen caused by an infection
• The tonsils contain lots of white blood cells to fight infection. They “catch” the germs that enter the body through the nose or mouth

Question 14

What is quinsy?

Answer 14

• The abscess (a collection of pus) forms between one of the tonsils and the wall of the throat
• This can happen when a bacterial infection spreads from an infected tonsil to the surrounding area
• The tonsil is pushed inwards and making the soft palate bulge
• There is severe pain and difficulty swallowing, and usually difficult to open the mouth

Question 15

What is peritonsillar abscess?

Answer 15

A complication of tonsillitis