We have placed all new patient registration forms on our website. Go to the "New Patients" link on our home page. New patients can fill them out prior to the appointment. This allows easy and faster registration and less time spent in the waiting room!

Specialty Care Institute has gone electronic! This month we have gone live with electronic medical records(EMR) . We have adopted the latest technology in EMR so that we can have accurate, up to date information at our fingertips. This will allow excellent communication with patients and our doctors. Prescriptions are done electronically- so no more paper prescriptions! It's done in an instant. Less wasted time at the pharmacy waiting for your prescription! EMR also allows fast reporting of test results from the hospitals.

Keith Urban, the famous country singer, will have throat surgery to remove a vocal cord polyp, according to Fox News. A vocal cord polyp often causes hoarseness, clearing of the throat, and changes in voice pitch with limited range. This can be devastating to people who use their voice extensively such as singers, customer service representatives, and teachers. Vocal cord polyps can occur from voice overuse, from a history of laryngitis, smoking, acid reflux and sometimes can occur with no apparent reason. Other lesions of the vocal cords can look like a vocal cord polyp such as vocal cord nodules , infection, and even cancer. An ENT exam in the office with an endoscope can diagnose the problem. This exam is called a flexible or rigid laryngoscopy, and is painless. It is done with only a topical anesthetic spray and takes only several minutes. A video is used to show the patient what their vocal cords actually look like.

Treatment varies depending on the actual type of lesion. Voice rest, hydration, speech/voice therapy can improve the voice in many patietnts. Sometimes, medications such as antibiotics, steroids, anti-reflux medications can help. However, some lesions such as polyps may require surgery. This is often done as an outpatient setting and under general anesthesia. The technique varies from using a forceps to excise the lesion to removal with microscope and laser. Generally, the patient just has a mild throat and can go home the same day. They usually can return to work the next day, provided they don't use their voice extensively. Usually the voice can return back to normal range in a few days to weeks.

Lesson to learn: changes in voice that persist should be evaluated by a doctor.

Dr. Krystine Mullins (Doctor of Audiology)  has now joined us here at  the Hearing Institute! She comes to us from her previous position at the Ear Institute of Chicago. She is an experienced Doctor of Audiology, who has a keen knowledge of hearing loss and its treatment. She will work with Dr. Alvi very closely to provide state of the art, specialist care of hearing loss. We know many of you have been waiting for her arrival to our practice and for her expertise in your hearing aid needs. She will start taking appointments starting October 24. We are all very excited to provide her services to our patients!

The popular singer Adele has a vocal cord hemorrhage according to Fox News. Vocal cord hemorrhage causes your voice to be hoarse. It can occur in anyone who overuses their voice. I have seen this in teachers, foreman, people attending rock concerts, and even in customer service operators. It is diagnosed by a painless endoscopy in the ENT office. Endoscopy can diagnose which part of the voice box is affected and it also can assess if the hoarseness can be due to other causes (such as cancer). Treatments can vary from steroids, diet modification, hydration and voice rest and others.