As a world leader in eye, ear, nose and throat services, the hospital is now at the cutting edge of research and teaching. This is supported through its close association with the University of Melbourne Departments of Otolaryngology, the Hearing CRC and the Bionics Institute.
Health Professionals › Knowledge Portal › Ear, Nose and Throat
Ear, Nose and Throat
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Audiology is the assessment and treatment of hearing-related problems. Audiologists at the Eye and Ear are allied health professionals who work with patients to assess, monitor and improve their hearing and balance issues through diagnostic testing and / or treatments.
View this presentation to learn more about hearing loss and the Eye and Ear’s Audiology Department.
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A balance disorder is a condition that causes dizziness or unsteadiness, and can be associated with vertigo, nausea, vision problems, fatigue, tinnitus, falls and hearing loss. The brain controls balance using feedback received from the inner ear, eyes, and sensors in the joints, muscles and tendons that sense position or movement. Conditions affecting one or more parts of this balance control system can cause a balance disorder.
The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital’s Balance Disorders and Ataxia Service specialises in balance disorders, including those of a central and peripheral vestibular origin, providing diagnosis and/or management. The service caters for common balance disorders such as intractable BPPV, migrainous vertigo and vestibular neuritis, as well as more complex diseases such as the cerebellar ataxias, multiple system atrophy (particularly of the cerebellar type), oculomotor disorders and peripheral vestibulopathies.
This presentation on Neuro-otololgy testing, by Brooke Paisley (Manager of Audiology, Speech and Balance Services at the Eye and Ear) looks at neuro-otology testing for diagnosis and rehabilitation at the Eye and Ear.
The following video, ‘An Approach to the Vertiginous Patient‘ is presented by Dr David Szmulewicz, Head of the Balance Disorders & Ataxia Service at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
Dr Szmulewicz has also delivered the a presentation on ‘An Approach to the Dizzy Patient‘ at the Eye and Ear’s Emergency Workshop training and demonstration day for external clinicians.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of vertigo, usually causing intense, brief episodes of dizziness or vertigo associated with moving the head. In the following videos produced by praxhub*, Dr Szmulewicz presents a neuro-otologist’s quick guide for GPs on BPPV (16 minutes) and an abbreviated version (4 minutes). Password 1234 to play.
*We partner with praxhub so that GPs can earn RACGP and ACCRM CPD points for watching Eye and Ear videos via the free praxhub portal. You must be a medical practitioner registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
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Latest Technology Webinar Series: March 2021
This two-part webinar series showcases the latest in hearing technology including hearing aids, cochlear implants, and assistive listening technology. The webinars were held in March 2021 and were hosted by the Victorian Deaf Education Institute (VDEI) in collaboration with our Cochlear Implant Clinic and Hearing Australia. Click below to watch the presentations.
Options and indications for implantable hearing devices
This presentation (by Rod Hollow, Audiologist and Cochlear Implant Clinic Co-ordinator and Jaime Leigh, Audiologist and Paediatric Services Co-ordinator) provides an overview of the Cochlear Implant Clinic, the current implant systems, and recipient outcomes.
Cochlear implant
Warning: Graphic content, materials provided for viewing by health professionals only.
This video is part of a cochlear implant surgery and shows the electrode array that is implanted surgically into the cochlea, the hearing organ of the inner ear. It uses electrical current to bypass damaged or missing portions of the inner ear and stimulates remaining auditory hearing nerve fibres. A microphone, processor, and transmitting coil are worn externally to provide the power and signal to the internal device.transmitting coil are worn externally to provide the power and signal to the internal device.
Click here to watch the video
(warning: graphic content)This procedure was performed by Robert Briggs, Head of Otology and Medical Director of the Cochlear Implant Clinic at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
Cochlear Implant Outcomes For Older Adults
Attached is the presentation given by Ms Jaime Leigh, PhD, (Cochlear Implant Clinic) at the Audiology Australia & New Zealand Audiological Society Trans-Tasman Online Conference in May 2020.
The presentation details the benefits of cochlear implantation for older adults and highlights that age alone should not be a limitation or deterrent for CI referral and surgery. Cochlear implantation can be done safely and provides significant benefits to recipients. The findings from the study detailed in this presentation confirms that cochlear implantation has a place in the clinical management of older adults, where audiologically suitable, and may lead to improved quality of life for these individuals as a result of improvements in communication ability.
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Tonsillitis
Bacterial and viral infections can cause tonsillitis, resulting in inflammation and swelling of the tonsils.
The video below, for GPs and Emergency Department staff, demonstrates how to examine tonsils.
This video was produced by John Vorrath and Michael Dobson (Consultant ENT Surgeons) with the assistance of Adam Louws and James Ooi; and presented by John Vorrath.
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Common Ear Conditions
Click here to view a recorded GP Education Session on common conditions of the ear, presented by Dr Elizabeth Rose, Head of the Eye and Ear’s Paediatric Otology Clinic.
Ear Examination Tools and Techniques
The following tutorials, for GPs and Emergency Department staff, were produced by John Vorrath and Michael Dobson (Consultant ENT Surgeons) with the assistance of Adam Louws and James Ooi; and presented by John Vorrath.
How to remove wax with a syringe
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is a physical condition, experienced as noises or ringing in the ears or head when no such external physical noise is present. Click here to watch a GP education session on tinnitus presented by Dr Claire Iseli, ENT surgeon at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
Hearing Loss
Click here to watch a GP education session on hearing loss presented by Dr Claire Iseli, ENT surgeon at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
Assessment of the Ear
Click here to watch a GP education session on the assessment of the ear presented by Prof Stephen O’Leary, ENT specialist at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
Stapedectomy
This video of a stapedectomy shows the surgical procedure performed to correct otosclerosis, a disease of the ear in which abnormal growth of bone interferes with movement of the stapes bone, leading to a progressive loss of hearing.
Click here to watch the video
(warning: graphic content)This procedure was performed by Robert Briggs, Head of Otology and Medical Director of the Cochlear Implant Clinic at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
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The guidelines are intended to assist GPs by providing primary care management information for low acuity conditions that do not require the specialty services of the hospital. They were developed by specialists and allied health staff at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and reviewed by our GP Liaison Officer.
Guidelines for ENT conditions:
• Dizziness
• Dizziness tests and maneuvres
• Otalgia
• Hearing Aids
• Hearing Loss
• Impacted wax
• TinnitusThe guidelines are not intended for use by the general public. Consumers wanting to utilise the Eye and Ear outpatient services will need to be referred by their GP, optometrist or audiologist.
The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital is not responsible in any way for application of these guidelines to patient care at your facility and the guidelines should not be relied upon in diagnosing or treating any particular medical condition.
They are guidelines only for informational purposes and your professional judgment must always prevail. These guidelines may not be reproduced without permission.
If a GP or referrer is still unclear about when to refer, or is concerned that their patient requires an urgent referral, then we encourage you to telephone our Outpatient Booking Unit to discuss with one of our triage staff (within business hours only), or to call the hospital reception and speak to the Eye or ENT Admitting Officer to get immediate over the phone advice (24/7).
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Nasendoscopy Tutorial
Nasendoscopy is a diagnostic procedure that is usually performed in the clinic setting to assess the structures of the nose and throat. It involves a thin, flexible tube with a small telescopic camera which is passed through the nostril. The endoscope can be manoeuvred to help obtain a good view of the nose and throat in order to investigate foreign bodies, malignancies and other issues of the upper aerodigestive tract.
In this video, the nasendoscopy tutorial is provided by Dr Philip Michael, ENT specialist at the Eye and Ear.
Epistaxis
Epistaxis is one of the most common ENT emergency presentations. Nasal cautery, or nasal cauterisation, is an effective, quick, and painless method to deal with persistent and repeated nosebleeds. A heated or caustic needle is used to seal blood tissues and stop bleeding. This procedure can be performed in the office with topical anaesthetic or can be performed in an operating room under general anaesthesia.
The video below, for GPs and Emergency Department staff, demonstrates how to cauterise a nasal septum.
This video was produced by John Vorrath and Michael Dobson (Consultant ENT Surgeons) with the assistance of Adam Louws and James Ooi; and presented by John Vorrath.
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Removal of Ear Wax and Conditions of the Ear
This training package is a competency based training program for Specialist Clinic nursing staff to enhance their ENT knowledge and provide patient care in the ear care clinic.
