Services
Dr. Alexiou specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of:
- Ear Disease & Hearing Disorders —
such as otitis externa and media, conductive hearing losses, otosclerosis, Meniere's Disease, or cholesteatoma
- Nasal & Sinus Disease —
such as chronic and acute sinusitis, refractory sinus conditions, nasal obstruction from a deviated nasal septum, or nasal polyps
- Skin Lesions & Cancers —
such as atypical or benign moles, scar revisions, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, or melanoma
- Thyroid & Parathyroid Disease —
such as papillary carcinoma, follicular adenoma, goiter, and parathyroid adenoma
- Salivary Gland Disease —
such as chronic sialadenitis, sialoadenitis, tumors or cancers of the salivary glands
- Conditions of the Throat —
such as hoarseness, thyroglossal duct cysts, branchial cleft cysts, tonsillitis, and adenoiditis
In addition, Alexiou Hearing and Sinus Center offers the very latest in technology for hearing amplification devices.
Hearing Loss
If you are experiencing hearing loss or other hearing difficulties, please read about Alexiou Hearing and Sinus Center's Hearing Evaluations & Hearing Assistance Program.
Comprehensive hearing testing for children, adults and seniors:
- Pure tone testing
- Speech discrimination testing
- Tympanometry
- Otoacoustic emissions testing
- Conditioning play audiometry
Treatment Options:
- In selective cases, medical or surgical treatment for restoration of hearing to normal without the need for hearing aids
- Hearing aids for improving hearing — Siemens Amplification Devices
- Intratympanic medical injections (for example, vertigo treatment)
Case Study:
John came to the clinic with complaints of ringing and decreased hearing in one ear. He had been considering hearing aids, as recommended to him by a local hearing aid dealer. However, our audiologic testing and medical evaluation diagnosed John with a conductive hearing loss that could be corrected. John was taken to the operating room for a middle ear exploration. During the surgery, it was determined that two of his ear bones and become disconnected. Using one of the newest artificial ear bones, John's ear bones were repaired, reestablishing his hearing. After the surgery, repeat audiologic testing confirmed that John's ear was hearing as good as his normal ear. His ringing had disappeared as well.
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Ear Tubes
Possible Symptoms:
- Resistant Ear Infections
- Recurrent Ear Infections (3 or 4 in one year)
- Hearing Loss
- Ear Pressure and Pain
Treatment Option:
- Same day surgery to insert small tube into the eardrum.
Case Study:
Sophia developed her first ear infection at 6 months of age. By the age of 18 months, she had suffered 7 ear infections, and she had been on multiple rounds of antibiotics. She actually developed an allergic reaction towards one of the antibiotics. Although the infections cleared each time with therapy, they kept re-occuring. Ear tubes were placed during a same-day surgery. After the surgery, no more ear infections were reported, and her parents noticed improvement in language development as well as balance.
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Sinus Disease
Possible Symptoms:
- Facial pain and pressure
- Recurrent sinus infections
- Nasal Blockage
- Nasal Discharge
- Loss of smell
The diagnosis of sinus disease is made by history, physicial examination including a procedure called nasal endoscopy, and radiologic evaluations.
Treatment Options:
- Medical therapy involves the use of longer courses of oral antibiotics, combined with medications to improve sinus drainage.
- Sinus irrigations with normal saline have been shown to improve both acute and chronic sinusitis.
- Surgical therapy is reserved for patients failing medical therapy, or for patients with anatomical deviations amenable to surgery and deemed responsible for disease progression.
Case Study:
Mark came to us with complaints of 4 to 6 sinus infections per year. They responded to antibiotics, but kept recurring. They were more frequent during allergy season. Physical evaluation and radiological studies demonstrated that Mark had a marked narrowing of an area called the osteomeatal complex, a central region where all sinuses drain into a common pathway. His narrowing was due to an expansion of a normal structure, but in an abnormal way. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery was recommended. After surgery, although Mark continued to have allergic symptoms, he no longer had sinus infections or the need for antibiotic therapy.
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Tonsillectomy/Adenoidectomy
For chronic tonsillitis or obstructive sleep apnea
Possible Symptoms:
- Multiple infections:
- 5-7 infections in one year, or
- 3-5 infections occur for two consecutive years, or
- 3 infections occur per year for three consecutive years
- Snoring
- Poor sleep
- Daytime fatigue OR hyperactivity
- Bed wetting
Treatment Options:
Using history and the physical examination, a determination is made whether surgical therapy would improve the patient's quality of life. During surgery, tonsils and adenoids are removed using an electro-coagulation wand. This novel technique removes the tissue and closes the blood vessel at the same time, resulting in little to no blood loss. This speeds the procedure, shortening recovery time. In most cases, tonsils and adenoids can be done as an outpatient procedure.
Case Study:
Sarah was a 10 year old whose parents complained that she snored excessively. She thrashed about in bed at night, and was very difficult to awaken in the morning. She was under-performing at school. Through an evaluation, it was determined that her large tonsil size was producing blockage in her airway at night, preventing restful sleep. Her tonsils and adenoids were removed. An immediate improvement in sleep was apparent the first night. After two weeks, her snoring ended. Her parents noted a change in her personality, and her school performance improved. They also noted a dramatic growth spurt over the next 6 months.
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Skin Lesions
Possible Symptoms:
- Lesions changing in size
- Lesions changing in color
- Irritated, bleeding, non-healing sores
- Cosmetic irregularity, unappealing or undesired growths
Treatment Options:
Each individual case is evaluated for optimum treatment and maximum cosmetic outcome. Services include:
- Surgical Excision and Plastic Surgical Repair
- Liquid Nitrogen Therapy
- Electrosurgical Destruction or Electrocauterization
- Dermabrasion/Ablation
- Topical Ointments
Cancer treatment may involve lymph node removal or additional therapies such as radiation and/or chemotherapy.
In almost all cases, lesions are excised and repaired on the same day.
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