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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2006-05-17, Page 9News The Huron Expositor • May 17, 2006 Page 9 Alliance has new ear, nose, throat specialist Brian Shypula The Stratford region has two ear, nose and throat specialists for the first time in more than a decade. Dr. Brian Hughes is the new ENT, joining Dr. Ellis Scott fresh out of specialist's training at University of Western Ontario. In addition to easing the sizable workload on his partner at the Huron Street practice, Hughes brings some new surgical tech- niques to patients in this area, specifically the use of tiny cameras or scopes in surgery. Using tiny cameras is an evolu- tion in many types of surgery, from removing kidneys to fixing knees. Hughes said the technology makes a huge difference in working in tiny spaces, such as the sinuses. One of his specialities is FESS, short for functional endoscopic sinus surgery. It's used to repair chronic sinusitis, an infection or inflammation of the lining of one or more of the sinus cavities in the facial bones around the nose. Sinusitis can make life miserable for people, causing facial tender- ness, aching behind the eyes and difficulty breathing through the nose. Other symptoms include fever and a running nose. The new surgery is less invasive because there are no "outside cuts," Hughes explained. There is also less discomfort and quicker recovery time. However, it requires expensive equipment. The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance's willingness to invest in the equipment was a big part of Hughes coming to Stratford. The Stratford General Hospital Foundation gave $120,000 to buy new equipment, including $60,000 for a powerful microscope that gives a super close-up look inside patients' ears and throats. The variety of the specialty is what drove Hughes to become an otorhinolaryngologist, the formal name for an ENT. "I think traditionally people think of ear, nose and throat specialists as treating ear infections, putting in tubes for kids and taking out ton - COUNSELLING Brian O'Reilly • Marriage • Personal Growth • Executive Coaching •Life Coaching 519-522-1032 Brucefield sils," Hughes said in a recent inter- view. Although that is part of what they do, there is much more to the spe- cialized field. Sinus diseases, throat tumours both benign and cancerous, thyroid and other neck cancers are exam- ples of the types of cases they han- dle, and there is also a trend toward reconstructive plastic surgery of the head and neck and even anti -wrin- kle treatments like botox injections. Scott, meantime, is glad for the extra help and heaped praise on his younger colleague. "I go to London (Health Sciences Centre) four or five times a month for meetings and I see all these young people coming down the tubes, so I've been looking for a sharp one for some time and I wait- ed until I found what I wanted," he said. "He brings some real skills and new procedures to town, and that's why I asked him to come." Scott has been practising in Stratford since 1975, including the last dozen years or so as the lone ENT for a service area stretching west to Lake Huron, north toward Owen Sound, east toward Kitchener and southwest toward London, tak- ing in some 112,000-115,000 people — above the manageable load of 90,000-100,000 people. "I'm quite happy to share the patient load. I'm interested in quali- ty of care. Period," Scott said. However, the veteran ENT criti- cized the Alliance for not providing enough operating time for Hughes. At the moment, the two doctors each get two days a month in the operating room and Hughes spends an additional day each month at Clinton Public Hospital. "They've given him: about half as LAWN QUEST o NS? GoOrganic Programs Available ACCREDITED -Trust the Professionals - 524-2424 PASSPORT PHOTOS angelasmifhphotography.com Coll Now (519) 345-0909 Lit ROTH DRAINAGE LIMITED Quality Workmanship Since 1948 • Farm Drainage • Excavator & Backhoe Service • Municipal Drainage • No Obligation Quotes • We Install Bruce Tile Call Dennis or Gerald for our 2006 Booking Program. Gads Hill Clinton 519-656-2618 519482-5950 1.800.494.2618 1.800.641.4857 much as what he needs," Scott said. Donnalene Tuer-Hodes, chief nursing officer for the Alliance, said the hospital's hands are tied. Cancer surgeries, cataract opera- tions and hip and knee replace- ments — the four main procedures under the province's plan to reduce hospital wait times — get priority, she explained. "Any extra OR time has to be given to what the government is mandating us to do urgently," she said. Andrew Williams, CEO of the Alliance, acknowledged OR time is a touchy issue. ;If we had more to open up, we would certainly have surgeons interested in taking it," he said. Tuer-Hodes said there are 19 sur- geons vying for operating room time at SGH. It is frustrating for people whose ear, nose or throat surgery is delayed or bumped because a more urgent case comes up, the doctors said. The shortage will hurt the region's ability to attract a new ENT when Scott eventually retires, Hughes warned. Still, the new ENT is glad he picked Stratford, which with the new equipment is as well set up for ear, nose and throat surgery as many big city hospitals. "It's a great practice opportunity," he said. The 33 -year-old native of London, Ont., his wife and 18 -month-old daughter have settled in Stratford and he is looking forward to getting more involved in the community. Looking down the road to the future, Hughes said he has plans to add cosmetic surgery to his practice and wants to set up a program that may help land another ENT, similar to the month he spent working with Scott in Stratford midway through his residency. "I'm hoping the next couple of years I'll actually set up a formal system where medical students or residents could come and follow me around," he said. A referral is needed from a family doctor to see one of the ear, nose and throat specialists, 141 Government Gouvernement of Canada du Canada Canada's New Government BUDGET 2006 Focusing on priorities Tax Relief. Focused Spending. Debt Paydown. • Tax relief for all Canadians including 1 percentage point off the GST and 28 other tax cuts. • Focused spending to help families including child care spaces and the $1,200 per year Universal Child Care Benefit. • Balanced budget and plan to reduce debt by $3 billion per year. Find out what Budget 2006 does for you, click www.f in.gc.ca or call 1 800 0 -Canada (1 800 622-6232) TTY 1 800 926-9105 (telecommunications device for the speech and hearing impaired/deaf) or visit a Service Canada centre near you. uaTla( a