Technology has advanced so much that doctors nowadays consider replacing organs rather than repairing the damage. This is a fundamental shift owing to technology at our disposal, says Dr Mohan Kameswaran, MD, Madras ENT Research Foundation, Chennai. In an interview with Sinduja Jane, he talks about the advancements in the treatment of ENT problems and factors that contribute to hearing loss. Edited excerpts:
What are the latest advancements and innovations in the ENT field?
Neural implants—implants that interact with the brain—are the latest technology adapted by the ENT specialty. Auditory brainstem implants (ABI) are a good example of neural implants. In this, a central neural auditory prosthesis is surgically implanted to treat profound hearing loss due to a non-functioning cochlea, especially among children.
In 99% of children who are congenital deaf, the inner ear or cochlear hair cells responsible for hearing are not developed. A cochlear implant bypasses the hair cells and directly stimulates the nerve endings. So, the interrupted circuit is restored. The remaining 1% are born without the inner ear, and here we can’t put a cochlear implant. A technology has been developed in which there is a possibility of putting a chip in the brainstem where there is a small auditory area. In Chennai, close to 100 brainstem implants have been done in children.
Another technology is hypoglossal nerve stimulator, an implant to treat sleep apnea. The implant can stimulate a nerve under the tongue to prevent the tongue from blocking the airway. The use of molecular biology is another advancement to diagnose cancer and develop agents and drugs that specifically target cancer cells. Robotic surgery is another development used for cancer surgeries.
What is the biggest challenge in ENT?
Deafness is one of the biggest challenges as one in every five Indians has some amount of hearing loss. Of this, one out of seven has significant hearing loss, which interferes with their communication. It is the biggest area where technology has become a game changer. Increasing noise pollution is a significant factor in hearing loss. Studies pointed out that tribals living in the forest have better hearing compared to the urban population.
How prevalent is congenital deafness?
Deafness is the most common congenital anomaly found in children at birth. Tamil Nadu has six times the prevalence of profound deafness because of consanguineous marriage.