The mission of the Otology-Neurotology Division is three-fold:
• To provide comprehensive patient care for all disease and disorders involving the ear and adjacent skull base
• To educate students, colleagues and patients about hearing, balance and the facial nerve, emphasizing prevention and early detection of problems
• To discover new knowledge that will enhance our diagnostic and treatment capabilities Clinical
The division provides diagnostic, medical and surgical expertise for the entire spectrum of otology-neurotology, from basic ear problems such as tubes and tympanoplasty for chronic otitis media, to the evaluation and treatment of more complex problems including dizziness, sensorineural hearing loss and facial paralysis. Colleagues in head and neck oncology and neurosurgery often provide a multidisciplinary approach to optimize patient outcomes for complex skull base and intracranial tumors such as acoustic tumors and glomus tumors. Dedicated programs have been developed in several areas that involve a team of physicians and audiologists. Examples include the Cochlear Implant Program and Vestibular–Balance Program. The Division evaluates approximately 4,000 patients annually with a large percentage of patients requiring care for Meniere’s disease, otosclerosis, chronic ear disease/cholesteatoma, sensorineural hearing loss and congenital aural atresia. Faculty Paul R. Lambert, MD is the Director of the Otology-Neurotology Division. Dr. Lambert was appointed Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at MUSC in 1999. He graduated from Duke University Medical School and completed a residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA. He also completed a fellowship in Otology-Neurotology at the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles. For more than two decades, Dr. Lambert has limited his practice to the evaluation and treatment of hearing and balance disorders in adults and children. Examples of his specialty areas include hearing loss, cochlear implants, ear infections, cholesteatoma, otosclerosis, acoustic tumors, Meniere’s disease, facial paralysis and congenital ear malformations. Dr. Lambert has published more than 100 manuscripts, 20 book chapters and two textbooks. In 2004, he served as President of the American Neurotology Society, which is the national organization of doctors who limit their practice to the ear and skull base. Ted A. Meyer, MD, PhD is the Director of the Cochlear Implant Program. Dr. Meyer was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery in 2004. He received a medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine and a doctorate degree from the Department of Speech and Hearing Science. Dr. Meyer completed a residency in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Indiana University and a fellowship in Otology-Neurotology at the University of Iowa. Dr. Meyer limits his practice to patients with otological, neurotological and other skullbase disorders in adults and children. Examples of his specialty areas include hearing loss, cochlear implants, ear infections, tympanic membrane perforations, cholesteatoma, otosclerosis, vertigo, Meniere’s disease, facial paralysis, congenital ear malformations, acoustic neuromas, glomus tumors, and other ear and skullbase lesions. As Director of the MUSC Cochlear Implant Program, Dr. Meyer oversees all clinical and research protocols involving patients with cochlear implants. He has published 16 manuscripts and five book chapters. Other faculty members include: David R. White, MD, who is involved in the pediatric cochlear implant program, and Terry A. Day, MD, M. Boyd Gillespie, MD, J. David Osguthorpe, MD, Joshua D. Hornig, MD, and Judith A. Skoner, MD, who form the multidisciplinary team for treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the skull base. The coordinator of the Cochlear Implant Program is Abby C. Connell, MEd; she is assisted with pediatric evaluations by Kimberly A. Snyder, MA. Alan J. Klein, PhD directs Audiology Services and Jack E. King, PhD directs the Vestibular Balance Center. Audiologists Laura Droege, MA and Andrea D. Hannan, Aud perform hearing and vestibular evaluations and rehabilitation, including fitting of hearing aids. Key Equipment/Resources Clinic
Digital image systems and video capture are available in the outpatient examination rooms. Temporal Bone Dissection Laboratory
In 2004, a state-of-the-art, 11-station temporal bone dissection laboratory opened. For teaching purposes, each station is equipped with a Zeiss operating microscope, video camera and monitor, an Anspach Otologic Drill, and an extensive assortment of Karl Storz otological instruments. Education
The Otology-Neurotology Division’s educational efforts occur at multiple levels, including frequent community talks for the general population and more specific clinical and research updates for otolaryngologists and other physicians in South Carolina. Presentations to national audiences are given each year by Division faculty. Instruction in surgical technique is facilitated by an 11-station, state-of-the-art Temporal Bone Dissection Laboratory. Formal dissection courses are conducted annually for otolaryngologists throughout the country. Research
The Otology-Neurotology Division is associated with the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, which includes eight PhDs and a number of master’s degree level investigators. Multiple NIH grants fund cochlear physiology and aging of the auditory system investigations. Additional research areas include cochlear implants (psychoacoustic analyses) and vestibular function. Clinical trials involving acoustic tumors and cochlear implants are ongoing. |
