C/V ENT Surgical Group's Resources

One of the most common medical referrals is for patients to visit an Ears, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Specialist for long-term issues and disorders that appear in these areas of the body. In many cases, there are several ENT Specialist options from which to choose. Making this decision can be overwhelming, especially if you do not have experience with an ENT Specialist. When you make this decision for your loved ones, it is just as important. If your regular physician or pediatrician refers you to an ENT Specialist, there are some things to consider first.

Rhinoplasty also called a nose job, is done to alter the shape of the nose or reconstruct it to correct facial deformities. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, nose reshaping is consistently one of the top five surgical procedures performed.  With so many patients considering nose jobs, understanding the cost of surgery, and how it's broken down is more important than ever.  If you live in the Greater Los Angeles Area and are considering rhinoplasty, here's what you need to know.

When it comes to septoplasty surgery, who you choose matters. Septoplasty is a common procedure to repair a deviated septum, but like any surgery, who you choose for your surgeon can have an effect on your risks and the quality of your surgery’s outcome. In a large metropolitan area like Los Angeles, there are lots of options so let’s look at the top considerations for choosing a septoplasty surgeon.

What if you stopped breathing for a total of 10 minutes every hour? This may be happening if you have sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder, in which your breathing stops or becomes extremely shallow temporarily. These pauses can last 10 to 20 seconds and can occur more than 30 times per hour! In its most common form, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the apnea is caused by an airway that is narrowed or blocked.

About Your Salivary Glands

You have hundreds of salivary glands whose job it is to produce saliva which drains from ducts and moistens the inside of the mouth, helps protect against tooth decay, and helps you digest food. The three major salivary glands are:

What are Lymph Nodes?

The lymphatic system is a network of tissues/glands, organs, and channels throughout the body. This system transports lymph, a clear fluid containing lymphocytes, white blood cells that are one of the body’s main types of immune cells that help your body fight infection and illness. There are hundreds of lymph nodes in the body, many of which are in the neck, whose function is to filter the lymph. The lymph nodes stop bacteria, viruses, and diseased cells from passing the nodes and continuing throughout the body via the lymph vessels.

If you experience a mass, a lump, or swelling in your neck, there may be a number of different causes. The neck is a complex part of your body that includes many muscles, tissues, and organs. A mass in the neck may be caused by problems in the:

A mass in the neck can represent a variety of causes and developing one can be scary. It is important to seek medical care to help reach a diagnosis.

At C/V ENT Surgical Group, our main goals when assessing a lump or nodule in the neck is to rule out cancer as a possibility and whether the nodule needs to be removed surgically or just monitored for changes in size. Functional evaluation of the thyroid gland is also done by sending for lab work, however if they are found, then our ENT specialists will refer you to an endocrinologist to manage those hormonal issues.  We use many different tests to achieve these goals.

Many patients worry when they hear they have thyroid nodules. The good news is that they are usually not cancerous or require surgery. Usually doesn’t mean never, though. This is why it’s important for you to know when there is something to worry about with your thyroid nodules.