Otology and Neurotology in Atlanta, GA
Medically reviewed by Karen Hoffmann, MD, FAAOA
Piedmont Ear, Nose, Throat and Related Allergy provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment for conditions affecting the ear, hearing, Eustachian tube, and balance system. Our physicians treat common and complex ear disorders, with subspecialty neurotology expertise available for conditions involving the inner ear, temporal bone, hearing and balance nerves, and lateral skull base.
Care may include a detailed ear examination, hearing or balance testing, imaging when appropriate, medical treatment, hearing technology, office-based procedures, surgery, or monitoring depending on the diagnosis and individual patient.
Don’t let hearing loss, dizziness, or chronic ear conditions affect your quality of life. Schedule a consultation with our Atlanta otology and neurotology doctors today and take the first step toward better hearing, balance, and overall ear health.
What Are Otology and Neurotology?
Otology focuses on conditions affecting the ear and hearing. Otologic care includes the evaluation and treatment of hearing loss, chronic or recurrent ear disease, eardrum problems, Eustachian tube dysfunction, otosclerosis, cholesteatoma, Ménière’s disease, and other conditions affecting the ear.
Neurotology is a subspecialty of otolaryngology focused on more complex disorders involving the inner ear, hearing and balance nerves, temporal bone, and lateral skull base. Neurotologic care may include acoustic neuroma, advanced hearing loss, cochlear implantation, complex vestibular disorders, temporal bone disorders, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, and other conditions requiring specialized medical or surgical treatment.
Our Otology and Neurotology Physicians
Karen Hoffmann, MD, FAAOA — Otology and Eustachian Tube Disorders
Dr. Karen Hoffmann is a board-certified otolaryngologist with fellowship training in otology and rhinology. Her clinical interests include Eustachian tube dysfunction, ear pressure and fullness, hearing loss, chronic ear disease, Ménière’s disease, and other otologic conditions. Her practice includes medical and surgical treatment of ear disorders as well as office-based procedures for patients with Eustachian tube dysfunction.
Mohammad Seyyedi, MD — Neurotology and Lateral Skull Base Care
Dr. Mohammad Seyyedi is an ENT physician with subspecialty training in otology and neurotology. He evaluates and treats complex hearing and balance disorders, chronic ear disease, otosclerosis, cholesteatoma, acoustic neuroma, Ménière’s disease, and other conditions involving the ear, temporal bone, and lateral skull base.
His treatment options include medical management, hearing rehabilitation, implantable hearing devices, cochlear implants, ear surgery, and lateral skull base surgery when appropriate.
Conditions We Treat
Hearing Loss
Hearing loss may occur when sound cannot travel normally through the outer or middle ear, when the inner ear is affected, or when the hearing nerve and related pathways are involved.
Evaluation may include an ear examination and audiometric testing to determine the type and severity of hearing loss. Treatment may include medical care, hearing aids, implantable hearing devices, surgery, or monitoring depending on the cause.
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction and Ear Pressure
The Eustachian tube connects the middle ear with the back of the nose and helps regulate middle-ear pressure and ventilation. Eustachian tube dysfunction can contribute to pressure, fullness, popping, discomfort, hearing changes, or difficulty equalizing the ears.
Because ear pressure and fullness can have multiple causes, evaluation is important to determine whether Eustachian tube dysfunction is actually present. Treatment depends on the clinical findings and may include medical management, treatment of contributing nasal or allergy conditions, pressure-equalization tubes, or balloon dilation of the Eustachian tube in appropriately selected patients.
Ménière’s Disease
Ménière’s disease is an inner-ear disorder that may cause episodes of vertigo, fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear pressure or fullness. Evaluation typically considers the symptom pattern, hearing findings, examination, and other possible causes.
Treatment depends on the individual presentation and may include lifestyle modifications, medication, hearing rehabilitation, procedures, or surgery in selected cases.
Vestibular Migraine
Vestibular migraine can cause dizziness, vertigo, imbalance, motion sensitivity, and other vestibular symptoms. Some patients experience headache with their episodes, while others may have little or no headache.
Because vestibular migraine can overlap symptomatically with inner-ear disorders, careful evaluation of the symptom pattern, hearing findings, examination, and other clinical features is important. Treatment may include identification and management of triggers, lifestyle measures, medication, vestibular rehabilitation, and coordination with other specialists when appropriate.
Chronic Ear Disease
Chronic ear disease includes recurrent or persistent problems involving the ear canal, eardrum, middle ear, or mastoid. Examples include chronic infections, eardrum perforations, cholesteatoma, and mastoid disease.
Treatment may include medication, office treatment, monitoring, eardrum repair, middle-ear reconstruction, or other ear surgery depending on the condition.
Otosclerosis
Otosclerosis is abnormal bone remodeling involving the structures of the middle or inner ear. When movement of the stapes is restricted, conductive hearing loss may result.
Treatment options may include hearing aids or stapes surgery for appropriately selected patients.
Acoustic Neuroma (Vestibular Schwannoma)
An acoustic neuroma is a noncancerous tumor that typically develops on the vestibular portion of the eighth cranial nerve. Symptoms may include one-sided hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, or imbalance.
Management depends on tumor size and growth, hearing status, symptoms, age, overall health, and patient priorities. Options may include MRI and hearing surveillance, microsurgery, radiation, or stereotactic radiosurgery.
Otology and Neurotology Treatments and Procedures
Ear Tube Placement
A myringotomy creates a small opening in the eardrum to ventilate the middle ear and allow fluid to drain when present. A pressure-equalization tube may be placed to provide continued middle-ear ventilation.
Balloon Dilation of the Eustachian Tube
Balloon dilation of the Eustachian tube may be considered for appropriately selected patients with obstructive Eustachian tube dysfunction.
During the procedure, a balloon catheter is temporarily inflated within the cartilaginous portion of the Eustachian tube to try to improve ventilation of the middle ear. Appropriate patient selection is important and should be based on the clinical history, examination, and objective findings.
Stapes Surgery for Otosclerosis
Stapedotomy or stapedectomy may improve conductive hearing loss in appropriately selected patients with otosclerosis by restoring transmission of sound through the middle ear.
Bone-Conduction and Implantable Hearing Devices
Bone-conduction and other implantable hearing devices may be appropriate for selected patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss or single-sided deafness.
Cochlear Implants
Cochlear implantation may be appropriate for patients with significant sensorineural hearing loss who receive limited benefit from conventional hearing aids. Candidacy is determined through hearing testing, assessment of hearing-aid benefit, communication needs, medical evaluation, and other individual factors.
Temporal Bone and Lateral Skull Base Surgery
Neurotology includes specialized surgical treatment of conditions involving the temporal bone and lateral skull base. These areas contain structures involved in hearing, balance, facial nerve function, and other neurologic functions.
Treatment may involve a neurotologist working with audiologists, neurosurgeons, and other specialists depending on the diagnosis.
Hearing and Balance Services
Our physicians work closely with Piedmont ENT’s audiologists for hearing evaluations, hearing aids, implant evaluations, and other hearing and balance services.
Schedule an Appointment
If hearing loss, ear pressure or fullness, Eustachian tube symptoms, dizziness, chronic ear disease, or another ear or balance problem is affecting your daily life, schedule an evaluation with Piedmont Ear, Nose, Throat and Related Allergy.
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