Advanced Imaging and Surgical Skill Ensures Successful Removal of a Parathyroid Adenoma
When Joselyn Lee’s calcium levels were high in 2018, her endocrinologist referred her to Kunal Jain, MD, a head and neck cancer surgeon in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, who also specializes in parathyroid surgery….
A Patient Regains Her Hearing After Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Kristine Carioggia had just made a career change from medical device rep to home-based monitoring of remote transmissions from pacemakers, defibrillators, and implantable heart monitors, when she suffered a severe migraine. “I hadn’t had a migraine in a while, and…
Endoscopic Surgery for a Rare Presentation of Sinonasal Osteoma
When Phoebe Murphy first complained of headaches, her parents, both of whom suffer from migraines, thought she might have inherited the tendency. “We spent two years trying different medications for her headaches, but nothing relieved them,” says Phoebe’s mother, Jeannie…
Minimally Invasive In-office Treatment for Nasal Polyps
Rick Jackson was failing maximal medical treatment and well on his way to a third trip to the OR for nasal polyposis, when his rhinologist Martin J. Citardi, MD, suggested that he try SINUVA®. The corticosteroid-eluting implant is indicated for…
Inferior Turbinate Reduction Allows a Patient to Avoid Septoplasty
Chuck Frank’s problem of nasal obstruction came on gradually over 12 to 18 months. By spring 2019, he was waking up every morning unable to breathe through his nose. “At first I thought it was allergies or a cold, but…
Right Tympanoplasty for a Nonhealing Perforation Restores Laurie Killam’s Hearing
Laurie Killam was left with a tiny hole in her right eardrum after an ENT injected dexamethasone as a treatment for vertigo. “The hole didn’t heal, but I wasn’t aware of that,” says Killam, 55. “When I squeezed a mixture…
Removal and Reconstruction of an Oral Cavity Cancer During COVID-19 Lockdown
Flor Rodriguez of Kingsville, Texas, is among the many patients who have benefited from the expertise of head and neck cancer surgeons in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. In early January 2020,…
Transoral Robotic Surgery Speeds Recovery for a Patient with HPV-Associated Tonsil Cancer
Although not yet widely available, transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has moved treatment for throat cancer away from primary chemotherapy and radiation toward surgery, with fewer side effects in appropriately selected patients. Among them is John Bush, who woke up one…
The Perfect Candidate for Dupilumab
Curtis Griffin was on the verge of a sixth surgery for nasal polyposis when his rhinologist suggested that he try dupilumab, a monoclonal antibody approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat asthma, atopic dermatitis, and chronic rhinosinusitis…
A Profoundly Deaf Toddler Hears After Bilateral Cochlear Implantation
At 21 months of age, Elijah Zúñiga was undergoing physical, occupational, and speech therapy at Shriners Hospitals for Children-Houston when his physicians discovered that he could not hear. “Elijah had just recovered from bacterial meningitis and was in rehabilitation for…