A pediatric otolaryngologist is a physician who specializes in the care of ear, nose and throat issues in children. The pediatric otolaryngology team at Arkansas Children's Hospital is dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation or therapy of the entire spectrum of ear, nose and throat disorders.

Dr. Charles Bower, chief of otolaryngology, ACH, examines a patient.

The Team

In addition to being trained as pediatric specialists, each of our pediatric otolaryngologists is fellowship trained. This fellowship training requires that a physician have additional training in specialized areas.

Nurses

The specialty nurses are critical in providing the continuum of care for the management of pediatric ear, nose and throat (ENT) patients. The clinic nurses are an important element in providing patient care. Whether assisting the physician, calming the fears of a family or returning phone calls from a parent, the specialty nurse provides support to the entire process of ENT healthcare.

Audiology

Our pediatric audiologists have specialized training in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and therapy of hearing impairment in children of all ages. Whether it is a child who has not passed an infant hearing screening, has experienced frequent ear infections or needs hearing aids or a cochlear implant, our audiologists partner with families and other healthcare providers to meet the needs of each child.

Speech Pathology

Speech-language pathologists provide a wide range of services at ACH. Pediatric speech, language, voice, resonance and swallowing disorders are some of the specialty consultations available in conjunction with ENT Clinic appointments.

Anesthesiology

At Arkansas Children¹s Hospital, our pediatric anesthesiologists are faced with the challenge of providing anesthesia for infants and children. They are skilled in providing this specialized care which at times can include critically ill patients. These skills and dedication are offered in a complete range of services that cater to the special needs of children.

What Do We Do?

We take care of all medical and surgical problems involving a child¹s head or neck. This may be as simple as an ear infection or as complicated as a cochlear implant or larynx reconstruction. Otolaryngologists manage acute and chronic ear infections, both medically and surgically. They are experts in children with wet noses including chronic sinusitis and its complications. Other problems addressed include recurrent tonsillitis, large tonsils and adenoids with sleep apnea, and breathing problems including noisy breathing or stridor. Otolaryngologists also manage children with neck masses from simple cysts to skin tags to head and neck cancers. Hearing loss can be assessed and treated at birth and intervention for hearing loss may include medicines, rehabilitation with hearing aids and speech therapy, or surgery. Otolaryngol-ogists are experts in facial plastic surgery including scar revisions, septorhinoplasty, and cleft lip and palate. Otolaryngologists are also capable of assisting with speech and language development.

Diagnostic Testing

A variety of diagnostic tests are available through the ENT Clinic at Arkansas Children¹s Hospital. X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs allow for detailed evaluation of a patient¹s anatomy. Sleep studies, or polysomnograms, are available for assessment of sleep apnea. Audiograms can be ordered to test hearing. Speech evaluations and even speech therapy are available. The clinic has access to multiple medical specialists including speech therapists, audiologists, nutritionists, dieticians, respiratory therapists, and many other pediatric experts.

Surgery

Some pediatric ENT patients may require surgery. Occasionally, ear tubes are surgically inserted due to recurrent ear infections or the inability to clear fluid behind the middle ear. This procedure is the most commonly performed ear operation.

Adenotonsillectomy is the removal of adenoids and tonsils. However, the doctor may recommend doing one or the other procedure independently. Removal of the adenoids and/or tonsils is most commonly performed to relieve sleep apnea or chronic tonsillitis.

Cleft surgery may be the initial intervention for a cleft lip or cleft palate. However, if the patient has had previous work done it may be a revision of the initial surgery.

Tympanoplasty is a surgical rebuilding of the tympanic membrane and/or middle ear bones.

Mastoidectomy is an operation to remove disease from behind the ear when medical management is inadequate.

Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) is performed through an intranasal approach and is CT guided. This is only performed after comprehensive medical management has been unsuccessful.

Airway endoscopy allows the surgeon to look directly through the mouth at the complete airway without making an incision. Frequently, laser treatment, surgical repair or dilation is done during this procedure.

Cochlear implants are surgically implanted devices placed under the skin in the temporal lobe area with electrodes inserted into the cochlea. In addition to the implants, the patient wears a speech processor. Cochlear implants benefit patients that are profoundly deaf and cannot be helped with conventional amplification.

Surgical procedures frequently remove head and neck masses such as thyroglossal duct cysts, branchial cleft cysts, dermoids, lymphatic and vascular malformations.

Surgical interventions due to head and neck cancer, are usually done in conjunction with Hematology/Oncology.

Trauma, such as broken noses and multiple facial fractures, often involve surgical intervention. Also, lacerations can require surgical repair, depending on the child and the severity of the trauma.

Otoplasty is a surgical procedure that is performed to correct protruding ears.

Rhinoplasty is a surgical correction of the nose which is most commonly performed in children due to obstructed breathing secondary to a congenital defect or trauma.

Contact Info/Referrals
ENT Clinic: 501-364-1225
ENT Office: 501-364-1047