Otolaryngologists used to be known as Earn, Nose and Throat doctors. But today’s Otolaryngologists are experts in a more complex set of head and neck conditions that the term ENT is no longer used. Otolaryngologists at Edinburg Regional Medical Center are specialists in many medical and surgical treatments including:

• Maxillofacial and Reconstructive Surgery: Treatment of patients with abnormalities of the face and mouth, including a variety of problems from birth defects (such as cleft palate) to accidents causing disfigurement to removal of tumors involving the tissues of the mouth. They also perform surgical procedures to reshape the nose or jaw to improve appearance and function.
• Nose and Sinus Allergy: Diagnosis and treatment of patients with symptoms and manifestations of nose and sinus allergy including hay fever and other inhalant seasonal and perennial allergies which are present all year round.
• Oncology: Treatment of head and neck cancers which may involve surgery, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. Your Otolaryngologist will work closely with a Medical and Radiation Oncologist to design the best possible treatment program.
• Otology: Medical and/or surgical treatment of diseases and conditions of ears, such as: ear infections, balance problems or dizziness, and hearing problems.
• Plastic Surgery: Similar to reconstructive surgery except that this surgery is often done for cosmetic purposes. Plastic surgery is important for patients who have been victims of disfiguring accidents and for those who wish to have a more improved or youthful appearance.

Derived from the Greek word "plastikos," meaning "to mold or give form," plastic surgery has the goal of restoring function and form to the body. Unlike most surgical specialties, it is not confined to one organ system or body part. Instead, plastic surgery repairs, reconstructs and replaces physical defects involving:

• Skin and soft tissue
• Head and neck
• Facial structures
• Trunk and extremities
• Hand
• Breast
• Peripheral nerves

There are two types of plastic surgery: reconstructive and cosmetic. According to the Americal Medican Association, the two types of plastic surgery are defined as follows:

Reconstructive surgery is performed on abnormal structures of the body caused by congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors or disease. It is generally performed to improve function, but may also be done to approximate a normal appearance.

Cosmetic surgery is performed to reshape normal structures of the body in order to improve the patient's appearance and self-esteem.

Cosmetic and reconstructive procedures performed by plastic surgeons from the Edinburg Regional Medical Center Division of Plastic Surgery include:

Treatment of skin diseases, cancer, trauma:

• Malignant and benign lesions of the skin (basal cell, squamous cell)
• Melanoma
• Malignant and benign lesions of the soft tissue (sarcoma, lipoma)
• Birthmarks
• Reconstructive flaps and grafts
• Scar revisions

Complex wound and burn treatment:

• Acute burn management (thermal, chemical, electrical)
• Reconstructive burn treatment
• Difficult wound care (infections, bites, foreign bodies, chronic open wounds)
• End-stage hidradenitis suppurativa

Surgery of the breast:

• Post-mastectomy breast reconstruction
• Breast reduction
• Congenital and developmental breast deformities
• Gynecomastia

Treatment of facial deformity, disease, trauma:

• Facial fractures (mandible, zygoma, orbits, nose)
• Tumors of the lips, mouth, tongue, salivary glands
• Congenital tumors and vascular malformations
• Wound and laceration treatment
• Nasal deformity, ear deformity
• Cleft lip and palate

Surgery of the hand:

• Hand and forearm wounds
• Tendon injuries and lacerations
• Nerve injuries
• Fractures of the hand
• Vascular injuries of the hand
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Dupuytren's contracture
• Trigger finger
• Congenital anomalies (extra digits, webbed fingers, etc.)

Surgery of the trunk and extremities:

• Chest and abdominal wall reconstruction
• Perineal reconstruction
• Lower extremity coverage
• Flaps, grafts, free tissue transfer, expanders

Cosmetic surgery:

• Facelift (browlift, neck-lift)
• Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery)
• Cosmetic rhinoplasty
• Cosmetic otoplasty
• Liposuction
• Collagen injections
• Abdominoplasty