Download Having an Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic Appointment

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Having an Ear, Nose and
Throat Clinic Appointment
This leaflet describes what to expect when
you attend the Ear, Nose and Throat
(ENT) Clinic at Chesterfield Royal Hospital
and will answer some of the frequently
asked questions.
The doctor seeing you in the clinic may not
be the Consultant named in the Clinic
Appointment Letter, but the doctor will
discuss with the Consultant if your clinical
condition requires a senior opinion.
Clinic Appointment
What procedures / investigations are
performed in the clinic?
The ENT clinic deals with a variety of both
acute and chronic conditions affecting the
ear, nose and throat. The nature of the
consultation and the type of
procedures/investigations carried out when
you attend the clinic will depend on the
symptoms for which your GP has referred
you to ENT.
What happens when I attend the clinic?
When you attend the clinic, you need to
report your arrival to the Health Care
Practitioner. They will take your details
and request that you take a seat.
Very often there is more than one clinic
running simultaneously. You will be seen
in the time order of your appointment for
the clinic you are booked on to and not the
time you enter the clinic.
If you are presenting with an ear condition,
you may need to have a hearing test
before you see a doctor. If you feel that
your ears are blocked and your GP or
Practice Nurse have informed you that you
have impacted (hard) wax, you need to
instil 2-3 drops of olive oil daily for up to a
week prior to your clinic appointment to
soften the wax. The wax will be removed
by a nurse or doctor prior to the hearing
test.
The type of procedure/investigation
performed on an individual patient
depends on the nature of your condition.
Typically, the doctor will take a history
from you and carry out the necessary and
appropriate clinical examination. In
addition, he/she may need to undertake
one or several of the following procedures:
• Examination of the ears under the
microscope.
• Suction cleaning of the ears (ie the
cleaning out of your ears using a
tiny hoover).
• Fibreoptic Nasendoscopy /
Laryngoscopy (ie a camera
examination of the throat).
• Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology
(FNAC) (ie a needle biopsy of a
neck lump, performed with or
without an ultrasound scan).
• Skin prick test for nasal allergy.
The doctor may also perform certain
treatments in the clinic if it is appropriate.
• Nasal cautery to stop nose bleeds.
• Manipulation of fractured nasal
bones.
• Epley’s manoeuvre to treat vertigo.
• Biopsy of a lesion / swelling.
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How will the above procedures be
performed?
The exact nature depends on the type of
procedure / treatment undertaken. You
will be given an explanation about the type
of the procedure and the method it will be
performed.
Some of the procedures, for example
flexible Nasendoscopy / Laryngoscopy will
help the doctors to assess your nose, post
nasal space (back of your nose) and the
throat including the voice box. This
involves using the small flexible telescope
with a light at the tip, introduced through
your nose. The light at the tip is not hot
and very flexible allowing the doctor to
pass the telescope gently through the
nose to examine the throat. In the majority
of cases this can be performed without any
anaesthetic and only takes a minute or
two. However, if you would prefer the
examination to be performed under a
Local Anaesthetic (LA), please ask.
What happens when I finish my
consultation?
This depends on the nature of your
condition. The doctor may prescribe
medications and arrange a follow up visit.
Alternatively he/she may request further
investigations (blood tests, scans, and
special hearing and balance tests) and
arrange a follow up visit.
You will need to go to the main reception
on your way out and book a follow up
appointment.
Having an ENT Clinic Appointment
Version 1
© Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Reviewed Date: October 2014
Next Planned Reviewed Date: October 2016
Division: Surgical Specialties
In addition, you may be offered an
operation to treat your condition, the
details of which the doctor will explain to
you. If you are offered an operation, you
may be given a date for the operation and
the doctor will ask you to sign a consent
form after explaining the nature of the
operation, benefits and risks and any
alternative treatments if available.
Contact Us
We want your visit to be a pleasant and
satisfactory one. If you have any further
questions, please contact the ENT
Department on:
01246 512098
Or speak to one of the staff when you visit.
We welcome any comments or
suggestions that would help us to improve
our service to you.