An ENT surgeon is a doctor who has received special training in the surgical treatment of the ears, nose, and throat. An ENT surgeon can help people with a variety of diseases and conditions that affect this area of the body. He may, for example, treat people with diseases of the nose and sinuses, as well as those who have diseases of the voice box. Other parts of the head and neck that are related to the ENT structures may also be treated by someone in this field.
ENT surgeons have received extensive training in this field of medicine. When a person decides to pursue a career as an ENT surgeon, he commits to a lengthy educational process. Preparation in some places may take more than 12 years of schooling and training. An aspiring ENT surgeon, for example, may devote four years to college, four years to medical school, one year to general surgery training, and four years to ENT surgery training. A person in this field could also pursue a fellowship in a sub-specialty, such as pediatric ENT care.
Working as an ENT surgeon entails treating patients with diseases and infections of the ears, nose, and throat. A specialist in this field, for example, could assist patients suffering from chronic ear or sinus infections. He may also be able to assist those suffering from sleep apnea or tonsillitis. Patients with disorders that make it difficult for them to swallow or speak normally, as well as those that cause them frequent pain, are frequently seen by surgeons in this specialty. This type of doctor can also deal with ENT tumors, surgically treating both benign and cancerous growths in patients.
ENT surgeons frequently see and treat patients who require their services not because of a disease, but because of deformities affecting the ears, nose, and throat. He might, for example, treat patients with ear or palate deformities. Plastic and reconstructive surgery is also performed by some surgeons in this specialty.
An ENT surgeon usually does a lot more than just operate on his patients. In order to provide an accurate diagnosis, a person in this field usually meets with patients, orders tests, and examines them. In order to better understand his patient’s condition and provide the best treatment, a person in this field may review his patient’s medical history. In order to provide the best possible overall care, an ENT surgeon frequently consults with other doctors and surgeons.