What is ORL? It is both a medical and surgical discipline which deals with all the problems of head and neck apart from the brain which is the domain of neurosurgery. ORL surgery is very varied, ranging from microsurgery on the ear to “serious” surgery for throat cancer and face and neck tumours and includes paediatric surgery (tonsils, oral vegetations) or surgery of the nose or sinus.
ORL is divided into sub-specialities: ear surgery, nose surgery, laryngology (including phoniatry), neck and facial surgery (including reconstruction), paediatric surgery and surgery of the salivary or thyroid glands.
Ear surgery
Ear surgery is represented by microsurgery of the ear and treats hearing problems in children and adults. These problems can be caused by malformations, chronic infections or accidents.
Rhinology
Rhinology treats problems associated with respiratory disorders (nasal obstructions, snoring) nasosinusal polyposis and, less frequently, malignant tumours of the nose and sinus.
The application of neuronavigation (in use at the Clinique Générale-Beaulieu) represents real progress in precision and safety for nasosinusal procedures.
Laryngology
Laryngology deals more particularly with benign and malignant lesions of the vocal cords and pre- or postoperative re-education.
Paediatric ORL
Paediatric ORL includes vegetations, tonsils and also birth deformities of face and neck.
Neck and facial surgery
Neck and facial surgery consists of surgery of benign tumours of the face and neck (congenital cysts, diverticulum or other benign tumours) as well as of oncologic surgery (smoker’s cancers or other types of malignant tumour). The oncologic surgery includes diagnosis of tumours of the upper airways and digestive tract such as bronchoscopy (flexible or rigid) or rigid oesophagoscopy.
Gland surgery
This includes thyroid and parathyroid surgery and surgery on the salivary glands (site of benign or malignant tumours). One recent development is sialendoscopy, a new minimally invasive endoscopic method which makes it possible to avoid resection of the salivary glands in obstructive gland diseases.
