Current Procedural Technology: History, Structure, Process & Controversies
Martin J. Citardi, MD Professor & Chair Every day, physicians rely upon Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) to report their services for payment by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and other third-party payers. Increasingly, CPT coding captures quality…
Surgical Fires in Otorhinolaryngology
Ronda Alexander, MD Assistant Professor The Wall Street Journal reported recently that approximately 650 surgical fires are reported in U.S. hospitals each year, and another three to four times as many are “near misses” or unreported events.1 The risk…
Role of Anti-leukotriene Agents in the Management of Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps
Amber Luong, MD, PhD Associate Professor As both clinicians and patients will attest, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) represents a challenging disease to manage. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery is often required and successful for the initial management, but…
Mission Trip to La Habana, Cuba
Ronda Alexander, MD Assistant Professor This March, I had the great opportunity to travel with a mission group to La Habana, Cuba. It was a result of some conversations I shared with my co-fellow over the course of our…
The Diagnosis of Asthma in Otorhinolaryngology Patients
Amber Luong, MD, PhD, Associate Professor Asthma is characterized by episodic lower respiratory symptoms (mostly commonly shortness of breath due to wheezing) that result from reversible pulmonary airflow obstruction. Many patients with asthma also suffer from allergic rhinitis and…
Soham Roy, M.D., Named Director of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
Internationally recognized speaker and author Soham Roy, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P., has been named director of pediatric otorhinolaryngology for Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital (CMHH) and The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. In his new role, Dr. Roy will coordinate a…
From Bench to Bedside with New Treatments for Chronic Sinus Disease
Since her September 2008 arrival at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Amber U. Luong, MD, PhD, has focused her attention on building a translational otorhinolaryngology research program from the ground up. Her…
Comprehensive Rhinology Program Offers State-of-the-Art Care for Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis Refractory to Standard Treatments
The Comprehensive Sinus Program, a joint effort of Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and the Texas Sinus Institute (TSI) of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, is founded on four related and interdependent spheres:…
Rhinology Update: Advanced Rhinology Concepts CME Scheduled for November
Mark your calendars for the 2009 Advanced Rhinology Concepts (ARC) CME event, scheduled for November 6-8, 2009, at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. The continuing medical education course will focus on the…
The Comprehensive Voice Program: From Advanced Office-Based Procedures to Community Outreach
New technology is allowing Ronda E. Alexander, M.D., a fellowship-trained laryngologist at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and the new UT-Houston Texas Voice Performance Institute (TVPI), to perform many minimally invasive procedures safely in the office, improving patient satisfaction, and reducing…