ENT surgeons to the rescue

AS the year drew to a close, a team of surgeons recently held an ear surgery drive at Ngwelezana Hospital.

The surgeons conducted surgeries on children and adults suffering from Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media (CSOM).

‘At Ngwelezana Hospital we decided to address our overwhelming waiting list with a special effort.

‘We are typically only able to perform two to three ear surgeries per week. The average waiting period at our hospital is currently around 8 months, and the list of patients needing surgery continues to grow each week.

‘In the public sector where ear. nose and throat (ENT) specialists and specialist equipment are scarce, these patients seldom get the help that they need.

‘The surgeries will change lives, as these patients will once again be able to hear, learn and thrive,’ surgeon Dr Andile Sibiya said.

CSOM is the number one cause of hearing loss in children and affects as many as 20% of children in the developing world.

In KZN alone it is estimated that 4.5% of the population is suffering from CSOM, which equates to more than 480 000 adults and children.

‘As the condition is not considered immediately life-threatening, these patients are often overlooked when it comes to seeking advanced care and intervention. The treatment initially requires specialised medical therapy,’ Dr Sibiya said.

‘When this fails, the patients need to be seen by an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon who can then offer surgery.

They were fortunate to get assistance from private companies, outpatient nurses, audiology teams and the hospital management in order to conduct the surgeries.

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