Bacon Can Stop Nosebleeds! No joke...

When I saw this research, I had to re-read it to believe it... Nasal packing with good-old fashioned bacon stops nosebleeds!!!Yes... you heard me correctly... and it was actually published in a reputable ENT journal in Nov 2011. AND, it was conducted here in the USA (Detroit, Michigan)."Cured salted pork crafted as a nasal tampon and packed within the nasal vaults successfully stopped nasal hemorrhage promptly, effectively, and without sequelae …...

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Sleep Apnea Surgery Malpractice Lawsuit

In November 2009, a patient underwent multi-level surgery to treat her mild-moderate obstructive sleep apnea by a Houston, TX otolaryngologist.The surgery included: • Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)• Tonsillectomy (typically considered part of UPPP)• Adenoidectomy• Hyoid Myotomy• Genioglossus AdvancementShe unfortunately experienced some unspecified complications stemming from this surgery which apparently has not helped with her obstructive sleep...

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Dr. Chang a Northern Virginia Top Doctor for 2012

Northern Virginia Magazine published their annual list of Top Doctors for 2012 in their February 2012 edition. Dr. Chang was listed as one of Northern Virginia's Top Doctor in the field of Otolaryngology (page 72).Of note, Dr. Chang was nominated by his doctor peers opposed to nomination by a small pan...

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Northern Virginia Balloon Sinuplasty for Chronic Sinusitis

In the past month, local residents of Northern Virginia may have received a magazine newsletter from Prince William Hospital (Manassas, Virginia) that contained a feature story about sinus surgery and about balloon sinuplasty specifically.It was a great story about how far sinus surgery has come compared to even just 5-10 years ago and great patient experiences after this type of surgery is not uncommon now.A few key features of sinus surgery of...

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Hospital-Based Practice Versus Physician Private Practice

The other day, an astute patient of mine asked what the difference is between a physician who works for a hospital (hospital-based practice) versus a physician run private practice.After all, a patient still sees a physician in either case...Is there an actual difference from a patient's perspective???Assuming all things equal whereby a private practice physician and a hospital-based physician are equally competent and the supporting staff for each...

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A Beauty Product GUARANTEED to Work!

I have seen it, used it, and it works! AND best of all, you don't need plastic surgery!Watch the video commercial below...For those you who actually thought this infomercial was real... it isn't... but the product it is describing is certainly real.Photoshop by Adobe is a computer program that does everything the commercial stated it would, but only for pictur...

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Miss America, SLP-CCC

Miss Wisconsin Laura Kaeppeler won the Miss America title for 2012 this past weekend. This news co-mingled with all the other news of the day, except for one key fact that caught my attention...Miss Kaeppelar majored in music and vocal performance and plans to obtain a Master's degree in speech and language pathology (SLP).A voice major with a Master's in SLP is a rare combination that is in great demand in the world of laryngology where singers...

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Nasal Hair Removal and Nasal Sores

It is not unusual that I encounter a patient who develops crusting and sores around the entrance to the nose where coincidentally nasal hair is found... in both men and women.Other complaints/symptoms beyond crusting and sores include:• Skin Splitting• Pimple/Acne Formation• Scabbing• UlcersPeople often try applying lotion, neosporin, or cortisone cream... which does help, but not completely with recurrent flareups.The most common triggers I find...

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Woman Coughs Out Her Throat Cancer

It was reported today a woman literally coughed out a previously undiagnosed throat cancer... and cured herself of it.She apparently felt a tickle in her throat forcing her to cough... and spat out a 2 cm large mass. No kidding...The mass was sent to pathology and was diagnosed to be malignant and was told she only had a 50% chance of survival.To ensure no cancer was left behind, she underwent radiological scans as well as additional biopsies in...

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Food Allergy Reaction Video

So the other day, I was watching the movie Hitch starring Will Smith and Eva Mendes during which there is this one scene where Hitch suffers an allergic reaction from a food he ate during a dinner date. Watch video.It's actually a pretty good depiction of a reaction due to a food allergy.However, given the throat-clearing suggesting airway swelling which extends to his face, he really should have called 911 as this not uncommonly leads to death...

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Revolutionary Camera Takes "Living" Pictures

Lytro has introduced a new type of camera that may have tremendous implications in medical photography.It is a camera that takes a "living" picture. What does that mean?In essence, it is a camera that takes a picture taking ALL the light information that is present such that the picture can be manipulated as if you haven't taken the picture yet.It sounds confusing, but practically speaking, it means that one can literally refocus any part of a picture...

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New Webpage Describing Surgery to Treat Reflux

Given how often we see patients for reflux-triggered ENT problems and the questions we often get regarding surgical options, we have created a new webpage to discuss procedures used to try and cure reflux-triggered ENT symptoms.Such symptoms may include:• Chronic cough• Phlegmy throat (lots of throat mucus)• Chronic throat-clearing• Burning throat• Lump in throat sensationHeartburn or any burning sensation may not be present at all!Surgical options...

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Head MRI and CT Scans Explained!

@ENTHouse brought to my attention a FANTASTIC website that literally identifies and goes through all anatomic structures on every slice of a CT or MRI scan of the head.Sinus cavities, blood vessels, nerves, bone, suture lines, etc...Wish I thought of doing it first...It may be a bit confusing for a layperson, but if you have a copy of your CT/MRI scan and wonder where the maxillary sinus or optic nerve is located on your scan, check this website...

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Argentine President Had Surgery for Wrongly Diagnosed Thyroid Cancer

On Jan 4, 2012, Argentine President Cristina Kirchner underwent a total thyroid gland removal for papillary thyroid cancer.On Jan 7, 2012, it was announced that she never had thyroid cancer in the first place! See news report.Why did this happen? And it does happen unfortunately to not only President of a nation, but to ordinary citizens.Without benefit of having access to her medical records, I suspect her medical course went something like this...

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Laryngospasm and Vocal Cord Dysfunction Video

A new video has been uploaded showing what happens inside the throat when a patient suffering from laryngospasm or vocal cord dysfunction suffers from a breathing attack.For more information on this condition, click here.If you are unable to watch the video below, click here to watch it on YouTube....

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Argentine President Undergoes Thyroid Surgery

BBC News reported today that popular Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner underwent total thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma, a highly curable form of thyroid cancer. Thankfully, there were no complications and she is expected to be discharged from the hospital in the next 2 days. Thyroidectomy is when the entire thyroid gland is removed which is necessary whenever thyroid cancer is present. What are some of the complications...

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Misleading FoxNews Report: Laryngitis for 30 Years

On Dec 23, 2011, Fox News reported on a woman who supposedly had laryngitis for 30 years.The story reported that the woman had a viral URI in 1982 which resulted in laryngitis and a paralyzed vocal cord.What people should be aware of is that a paralyzed vocal cord is NOT laryngitis. Laryngitis is an infection of the larynx or voicebox. Stating that a paralyzed vocal cord is akin to laryngitis is like claiming a person who has a paralyzed arm/leg...

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