Academic Divisions
Paediatric Otorhinolaryngology
Paediatric Otorhinolaryngology deals with the diseases of the ears, nose and throat that occur in the paediatric population. They have unique pathologies and diseases that require specific expertise and management strategies. These include the child's ability to breath normally, as the airway is proportionally smaller than at any other time in the humans life and is therefore especially vulnerable to infections and narrowing of the airway. Specialists in this field are in the best position to decide when a child should be operated on to improve its airway and ability to breathe. They also include the child's ability to hear normally, which is essential for the normal acquisition of language and speech and hence socialization of the child. Once again, these doctors are in the unique position correctly decide when and what surgery is needed to improve the ability of a child to hear.
The sub-specialty is the first of its kind in Hong Kong and has strengths in many areas, especially in liaising with other medical and surgical disciplines, and is responsible for delivering a coordinated and holistic approach to child health. A number of surgical procedures on the paediatric airway have been pioneered in Hong Kong. Research into otitis media in children has also earned the sub-specialty an international reputation.
The paediatric team diagnoses and treats all paediatric head and neck conditions. Services provided by the team includes:
- Paediatric laryngeal ultrasound (PLUS) for the diagnosis of stridor, hoarseness and dysphagia in children
- Full range laryngomalacia surgery options for moderate to severe infantile laryngomalacia
- Primary balloon laryngoplasty for airway stenosis to avoid tracheostomy
- Cricotracheal resection (CTR) and laryngotracheal reconstruction (LTR) for recalcitrant laryngeal stenosis to achieve decannulation from tracheostomy
- Complete endoscopic choanal atresia recanalization, stent-less technique
- Endoscopic intranasal excision of paediatric sinonasal solid tumor
- Extrauterine, Intrapartum Treatment Procedures (EXIT) and fetal airway support for all indications. The team is a part of a program offering Fetoscopic Tracheal Occlusion (FETO) for the treatment of severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia by the Department of Obstetric & Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Comprehensive sialorrhoea (salivary incontinence) management
- Comprehensive obstructive sleep apnoea diagnosis and management
- Endoscopic tympanoplasty and ossicular chain reconstruction for chronic otitis media
- Endoscopic mastoidectomy for paediatric cholesteatoma