The mission of the Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Division is to provide a comprehensive service for patients of University Hospital and to offer a range of clinical experience for residents and fellows, as well as medical students at Stony Brook.
Laboratory programs are currently being developed in the Health Sciences Center for a full complement of clinical and basic scientific studies including temporal bone analysis. A number of specialty clinics dealing with a wide variety of problems have been established.
Resident Rotations
The Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Division is responsible for the treatment of patients with a wide variety of head and neck disorders at both University Hospital and the Northport VA Medical Center. A multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of head and neck tumors is followed.
All patients are discussed at a biweekly teaching conference attended by interdepartmental staff with expertise in therapeutic radiology, medical oncology, oral surgery, general surgery, and otolaryngology–head and neck surgery.
This teaching conference provides an excellent opportunity for the training of residents in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the head and neck region with special emphasis on benign and malignant tumors. An active educational program focuses on bedside rounds, operating room teaching and didactic teaching in the form of lectures and conferences.
In the head and neck clinic, residents are instructed in the methods used in performing a comprehensive head and neck physical examination. The differential diagnosis and therapeutic plan are discussed with the attending physician who supervises at clinic sessions.
In the operating room, the residents perform and assist at a variety of head and neck surgical procedures with a special emphasis on intricate ablative and reconstructive surgery for head and neck cancer. Residents have the opportunity to utilize the latest of surgical equipment, including flexible and ridged fiberoptic instrumentation, carbon dioxide surgical laser, and the operating microscope.
Surgical Selective
For fourth-year medical students, the selective course is designed so that, at the end of the course, they can perform a complete history and head and neck exam.
They should, then, be able to diagnose and treat common disorders of the head and neck including but not limited to acute and chronic sinusitis, adenotonsillar hypertrophy, chronic tonsillitis, acute and chronic otitis media.
They should also be able to recognize sensorineural hearing loss; recognize conductive hearing loss; and understand the differential diagnoses of each; understand management of the thyroid nodule; and understand the management of a neck mass.
