Head, throat and neck surgery is a specialty concerned with the medical and surgical treatment of the ears, nose and related structures of the head and neck. This specialty encompasses facial reconstruction, surgery of benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck, management of patients with loss of hearing and balance. Endoscopic examination and surgery of the air and food passages, and treatment of allergic, sinus, laryngeal, thyroid and esophageal disorders. To qualify for the American Board of Otolaryngology certification examination a physician must complete five or more years of post-M.D. (or D.O.) specialty training.

Contrary to the popular opinion of Plastic Surgery obtaining its name from Plastic Materials, its Surgical specialty derives it's name from the Greek root "plastikos", "meaning to give from". This specialty is many thousands of years old having its origins in the treatment of war injures, diseases and birth defects. Great enhancements in facial plastic surgery were made in treating
disfigurements form injuries during the first and second world wars.

In contrast to the correction of diseases and wounds "cosmetics" and "cosmetic surgery" are derived from the Greek "cosmetikos" meaning appearance. Cosmetic Surgery refers to those procedures performed to alter one's appearance, either correcting an unsightly feature such as an overly large nose or enhancing a feature that is maldeveloped, such as augmenting a weak chin to improve the profile.

The number of face lift- related surgeries in this country has been steadily increasing each year. Non-smokers age 50 and over with excessive wrinkled or sagging facial and neck skin are the best candidates for surgery. The recovery time can last up to 6 weeks. The facelift is the best known facial cosmetic surgery. A forehead lift can create a younger, friendlier appearance by reducing furrows and frown lines and raising dropping eyebrows. Skin is lifted, smoothed and
repositioned. Other procedures include removal of puffiness from lower lids and excess tissue from the upper lids. Wrinkles, lines, and grooves can be removed with a variety of skin treatments including chemical peels or laser surgery.

Ear problems such as swimmer's ear, earaches, perforated ear drums and sinusitis are treatable problems associated with the ear. One third of children suffer from some form of earache which results in 30 million doctor visits each year. With shorter hairstyles, Otoplasty, a cosmetic procedure to correct pronounced ears, has become more popular in recent years. Otoplasty changes the appearance of protruding ears. A basic procedure involves making the incision at the back of the area to expose form tissue called cartilage. The surgeon may either fold down the cartilage and use sutures to keep the folds together or will remove excess cartilage. After reshaping the cartilage, the incisions are closed with small sutures, and ears are covered with bandages. Otoplasty can be performed under general anesthetic in which the patient is put to sleep, or under local anesthesia in which the areas are numbed while the patient remains awake. This procedure can be performed on anyone over age 5 or 6, when ear growth is almost complete.

NASAL / SLEEP APNEA / SINUS SURGERY

Criteria compelling people tare: they don't like the way their nose looks or the way it works (or both).
Appearance and function are important factors in how well your nose performs. Nasal surgery is among the most common of all facial plastic surgical procedures, yet the most difficult to perform.