Advanced Treatments at our Centers of Excellence
Our center offers comprehensive evaluation and management of all paranasal sinus disorders. Minimally invasive and noninvasive technologies now exist for the treatment of nasal breathing, chronic sinus infections, and the treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the nasal and sinus regions.
Dr. Fitzgerald is skilled in the new noninvasive technology called sinuplasty which uses “angioplasty” technique for opening the narrowed passages of infected sinuses. We are very excited about this new technology as it provides patients with a much speeder recovery and far less incidence of complication than traditional sinus procedures.
Surgical Navigation
Centers that are affiliated with the ENT Specialty Center all have comprehensive surgical navigation systems in place for 3 dimensional precision during sinus surgery.
Image Guided Sinus Surgery
The sinuses are physically close to the brain, the eye, and major arteries, always areas of concern when a fiber optic tube is inserted into the sinus region. The growing use of a new technology, image guided endoscopic surgery, is alleviating that concern. This type of surgery may be recommended for severe forms of chronic sinusitis, in cases when previous sinus surgery has altered anatomical landmarks, or where a patient’s sinus anatomy is very unusual, making typical surgery difficult.
Image guidance is a near-three-dimensional mapping system that combines computed tomography (CT) scans and real-time information about the exact position of surgical instruments using infrared signals. In this way, surgeons can navigate their surgical instruments through complex sinus passages and provide surgical relief more precisely. Image guidance uses some of the same stealth principles used by the United States armed forces to guide bombs to their target.
About the InstaTrak Surgical Navigation System
The GE InstaTrak Surgical Navigation System is an advanced technology used during Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Cranial and Spine procedures. Surgeons use the system to clearly visualize the patient's anatomy and the exact position of their surgical instruments within the anatomy.
GE's InstaTrak system is made up of a high-powered computer system, specialized software, and patented electromagnetic tracking technology. Electromagnetic tracking can be compared to a global positioning system (GPS) in a car, which allows the driver to see his or her exact location on a virtual roadmap.
In surgical navigation, medical images created by CT, MRI, or Fluoroscopic imaging systems are used to build an anatomical "roadmap". As the surgeon's instruments travel within the patient's body during a procedure, the GE InstaTrak system tracks their exact position, which is displayed on a high-definition monitor in the surgical suite or operating room. With the ability to track surgical instrumentation, surgeons can more safely perform delicate procedures without damaging critical surrounding structures such as arteries and nerves.
GE's advancements in surgical navigation have many benefits for both the surgeon and patient, but none more important than allowing surgeons to safely treat many conditions that years ago would have been considered impossible.
Baha Ear Implantation
The bone anchored hearing apparatus has become quite popular in the last several years. Indications for bone anchored hearing implant are partial or complete deafness on the side of implantation. Dr. Fitzgerald is experienced in the surgical implantation of the bone anchored hearing device. To see if you are a candidate for this device, an appointment and audiometric testing is required.
What is the Baha system?
The Baha system is an osseointegrated bone conduction implant system which utilizes direct bone conduction. This is where the bone acts as a pathway for sound to travel to the inner ear (cochlea), bypassing the outer and middle ear. The Baha system is designed to help improve hearing in conditions where the ear canal is not functioning normally due to a mixed or conductive hearing loss; or in Single Sided Deafness (SDD), where there is only one functioning cochlea.
How does it work?
During a minor surgical procedure, a small titanium implant is 
placed in the skull (mastoid) bone behind the ear where it bonds with the surrounding tissue through a process called osseointegration. A few months after implantation, the sound processor is connected, and sound can be heard immediately upon fitting.
Once fitted, the sound processor receives sound vibrations as they would reach the ear. The vibrations from the sound processor are transmitted directly to the implant through the skin (direct bone conduction). This process creates vibrations in the skull, and the bone then acts as a pathway for sound to travel to the inner ear without involving the outer ear or ear canal.
For people with a conductive or mixed hearing loss, the Baha system allows sound to bypass the damaged outer or middle ear and travel directly to the cochlea. For people with Single Sided Deafness (SSD), the system allows sound to be heard from the deaf side, provided that hearing is normal in the non-affected ear.
How is the Baha system different from other treatments?
Image of Baha and implant The Baha system is the only implanted treatment for hearing loss that works through direct bone conduction. It allows sound to be processed by the cochlea without involving the outer ear or ear canal, enabling those with specific types of hearing loss to benefit from a natural transmission of sound. Unlike hearing aids, the Baha system does not rely on amplification; and unlike cochlear implants, it does not utilize electronic impulses to stimulate the cochlea.
How many people use it?
The Baha system has been FDA-cleared since 1996 for use in the United States. It is currently being worn by more than 25,000 people worldwide, a number which continues to grow.
Revision Surgery
Coming Soon ...
ENT Specialty Center Home
Appointments and Contacts
