The division of audiology specializes in the evaluation and treatment of patients with disorders of hearing and balance. The UK HealthCare audiology program offers a full range of audiology services. Audiometric tests include both basic and advanced diagnostic testing, including hearing evaluation, electrophysiological assessment and balance assessment for both pediatric and adult patients. The neuroaudiology program provides patients with diagnostic services of auditory processing disorders. A comprehensive rehabilitation program is available that includes assistive listening devices and hearing aid evaluation, consultation and fitting. Additionally, there is a comprehensive cochlear implant program, which provides services to patients of all ages. The following conditions are addressed:

• Congenital and acquired hearing loss
• Auditory processing disorders in children and adults
• Vertigo (dizziness)
• Tinnitus (chronic ear ringing) 

The following services are provided:

• Hearing aids
• Audiometric evaluations
• Balance testing
• Cochlear implants
• Auditory processing disorder
• Tinnitus

Testing and treatment occur in close conjunction with physicians within the department of otolaryngology. We understand the frustration associated with disorders that affect your hearing and balance. Our goal is to provide outstanding, patient-centered care using a multidisciplinary approach.

To schedule an appointment with one of our clinicians, please contact the Audiology Clinic at 859-257-3390.

The division of facial plastic surgery treats patients with cosmetic and functional disorders affecting the skin, eyes, ears, nose, lips, and chin. All patients undergo a comprehensive assessment by fellowship-trained physicians experienced in detecting anatomical changes resulting in both functional and structural abnormalities. Patients are then counseled on the various treatment options, with a focus on providing the highest standard of individualized care. Patients benefit from the convenience of our in-clinic operative suite, which is commonly utilized for less-complex procedures.   

The following services are available:

• Facial filler and botulinum toxin (Botox) injections
• Rhytidectomy (face lift) 
• Brow lift
• Upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty (correction of baggy eyes)
• Facial reanimation (correction of facial paralysis)
• Otoplasty
• Correction of nasal obstruction
• Septorhinoplasty
• Chin implants
• Correction of defects following cancer surgery
• Scar revision
• Facial fracture repair 

Our division is fully committed to addressing all your concerns while providing quality care that fulfills your goals and expectations. More information can be accessed at UK HealthCare.

To schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, please contact the Facial Plastic Surgery Clinic at 859-257-5405 or the Aesthetics Center at 859-257-7171.

The division of general otolaryngology physicians care of both adults and children suffering from a wide range of diseases affecting the ears, nose, and throat. Common patient problems include:

• Common ear infections, including otitis externa and media
• Hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance disorders
• Sinusitis and allergy
• Nasal obstruction
• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders
• Acute and chronic tonsillitis
• Salivary gland disease
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Thyroid disease
• Disorders of speech and swallowing

Enhanced patient care is delivered at our fully-equipped Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic with ready access to ancillary services, including allergists, audiologists, and speech-language pathologists. Patients may also schedule an appointment at outlying clinics in Morehead, Mount Sterling, and Mt. Vernon.

To schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, please contact the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic at 859-257-5405.  

The division of head and neck cancer surgery manages individuals diagnosed with both benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck. Patients are evaluated and treated in the Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Clinic within the Markey Cancer Center. This multidisciplinary clinic is a tertiary-referral center with a tremendous patient volume. Our location, adjacent to both the radiation medicine and medical oncology clinics, fosters communication between physicians caring for patients with these complex diseases. Patients also benefit from in-clinic access to speech-language pathologists specialized in speech and swallow rehabilitation both during and after treatment. 

Division faculty members are fellowship-trained surgical oncologists specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of cancers affected all areas of the head and neck. Patients receive the most current surgical techniques available, including microvascular free flap reconstruction, trans-oral robotic surgery (TORS), endoscopic skull base surgery, laser surgery, and airway reconstructive surgery. 

In addition to clinical duties, our physicians are actively engaged in both clinical and basic science research examining quality-of-life issues affecting head and neck cancer patients, and the development, behavior, and treatment of specific tumors. Studies performed in collaboration with both the departments of radiation medicine and medical oncology have improved our ability to efficiently diagnose and treat cancer patients. In fact, we are proud to be the only National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer center in Kentucky. This national recognition allows our physicians to treat newly-diagnosed patients with the latest therapies available. Patients are also eligible to participate in cutting-edge clinical trials featuring treatments unavailable at most other institutions.

To schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, please contact the Markey Cancer Center Head and Neck Surgery Clinic at 859-257-4488.

Markey Cancer Center Website

The division of laryngology and bronchoesophagology specializes in treating disorders affecting communication, breathing, and swallowing. We provide a wide variety of clinical and surgical services, frequently in collaboration with the division of speech-language pathology. Our physicians are specialized in managing the following problems:

• Chronic hoarseness and chronic idiopathic cough
• Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Vocal fold nodules and polyps
• Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP)
• Presbylarynx (vocal fold atrophy associated with aging)
• Vocal fold paresis and paralysis
• Laryngeal trauma
• Spasmodic and muscle-tension dysphonia
• Tracheal stenosis
• Zencker’s diverticula
• Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and odynophagia (painful swallowing)
• Globus pharyngeus (foreign body sensation in the throat) 

Oftentimes, our expert clinicians evaluate and treat vocal performance majors within the University of Kentucky School of Music. We are on-call and available to voice majors at any time, and take pride in their trust prior to a performance. By providing multidisciplinary, individualized care, we hope to gain your confidence as one of our many satisfied patients.

The division of speech-language pathology is comprised of clinicians within the University of Kentucky Division of Communications Sciences and Disorders. These health care professionals are specialized in the evaluation and treatment of disorders related to speech and/or voice production, language comprehension, and swallowing. Special focus is given to rehabilitation for patients with the following conditions:

• Problems with articulation, including stuttering
• Communication difficulties associated with developmental delay, learning disabilities, cognitive impairment, and neurologic disorders 
• Poor voice quality owing to vocal fold nodules, spasmodic dysphonia, and muscle-tension dysphonia 
• Professional voice training exercises 
• Vocal rehabilitation following head and neck surgery 
• Post-laryngectomy communication, including tracheo-esophageal puncture (TEP) device fitting and replacement 
• Management of chronic aspiration 

All division faculty are highly experienced and board certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (CCC-SLP or CCC-A). Our practice locations include the Clinical Voice Center within the Kentucky Clinic and the Speech-Language Pathology suite within the Markey Cancer Center. Our facilities feature state-of-the-art laryngeal imaging and phonatory testing technology, and are conveniently located adjacent to the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic and the Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Clinic.

To schedule an appointment with one of our clinicians, please the Voice Clinic (Kentucky Clinic) at 859-257-0143 or the Speech-Language Pathology Clinic (Markey Cancer Center) at 859-257-4488.

The division of otology, neurotology, and skull base surgery treats patients with conditions affecting the organs of hearing and balance. Both surgical and non-surgical services are provided by fellowship-trained physicians with extensive experience managing complex otologic disorders.

Comprehensive diagnostic testing and treatment occurs in partnership with the division of audiology. We are a tertiary referral center that receives patients from across Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. Patient problems we commonly treat include:

• Chronic infections, including chronic otitis media and cholesteatoma
• Tympanic membrane (ear drum) perforations
• Congenital and acquired hearing loss
• Ossicular discontinuity and otosclerosis
• Meniere’s disease
• Benign and malignant tumors, including vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma)
• Tinnitus (ear ringing) and vertigo (dizziness)
• Facial nerve weakness and paralysis
• Temporal bone trauma

Available services include:

• Surgery for chronic ear infections: tympanoplasty and mastoidectomy
• Operative and non-operative correction of hearing loss: audiologic testing and hearing aid evaluation, stapedectomy, ossicular chain reconstruction, bone anchored hearing aids (BAHA, Ponto), cochlear implantation
• Management of acoustic neuroma:  open resection and radiosurgery (Gamma Knife)
• Resection of malignant skull base tumors (in collaboration with the Division of Head and Neck Surgery and the University of Kentucky Department of Neurosurgery)
• Correction of vertigo: balance testing and rehabilitation, endolymphatic shunt placement, vestibular neurectomy

Division research aimed at improving access to underserved persons with hearing impairment is underway. We have made significant progress identifying and treating this vulnerable population. We take pride in our comprehensive cochlear implantation program, which receives the majority of congenitally deaf children born in Kentucky referred for definitive management. Our physicians and audiologists are experienced in implantation and programming of all FDA-approved devices - including Cochlear, Med-El, and Advanced Bionics. We are also engaged in research focusing on early identification and treatment of skull base tumors. Through our efforts, we have increased treatment options that help improve quality-of-life of patients throughout the Bluegrass State.

Pediatric otolaryngology at the University of Kentucky and Kentucky Children’s Hospital is dedicated to providing high-quality, family-centered care for all of your child’s ear, nose and throat needs. We believe that effectively treating pediatric patients requires meticulous attention, not only to the medical and surgical aspects of the care, but also to the emotional needs of children and their families.

Our surgeons have completed ENT residency in addition to an extra year of training in a pediatric ENT fellowship focusing on complex ear, nose and throat disorders in infants, children and adolescents. Our surgeons perform more than 2,000 surgeries every year, from ear tubes and tonsillectomies to complex airway reconstruction and cochlear implantation. We work with you to create a specialized healthcare plan based on what is best for your child’s health.

We see patients in Lexington and in Morehead. Our surgeries are performed in Lexington at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital, primarily at the Center for Advanced Surgery in addition to some procedures at the Lexington Surgery Center. Kentucky Children’s Hospital’s features a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for care of the infants with complex health issues that was recently relocated to a brand-new state-of-the-art facility. There is also a recently renovated pediatric inpatient floor and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for the care of critical problems in young children and adolescents. To schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, please contact the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic at 859-257-5405.

We provide care for a variety of diseases and disorders from the common to the uncommon including:

• Airway papillomatosis
• Adenoid hypertrophy
• Allergic rhinitis
• Ankyloglossia/tongue tie
• Branchial cleft cyst
• Choanal atresia
• Cholesteatoma
• Chronic cough
• Cleft lip and palate
• Deafness
• Ear malformations
• Failed newborn hearing screening
• Feeding and swallowing Issues
• Foreign objects in the ear, nose, or throat
• Head and neck hemangiomas, tumors, and vascular malformations
• Hoarseness
• Laryngeal Clefts
• Laryngomalacia
• Lymphadenopathy/enlarged lymph nodes
• Nasal obstruction
• Nasal dermoids/gliomas
• Otitis media/ear infections and otitis external
• Pyriform aperture stenosis
• Salivary gland disease
• Sensorineural hearing loss
• Sialorrhea
• Sinusitis
• Sleep Apnea
• Stridor/Noisy breathing
• Subglottic and tracheal stenosis
• Thyroglossal duct cyst
• Thyroid enlargement or nodules
• Tonsillitis, recurrent and tonsillar hypertrophy
• Tracheosophgeal fistula
• Tracheostomy dependence
• Tympanic membrane perforation
• Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI)
• Vocal cord paralysis

The division of rhinology and allergy treats patients suffering from a variety of disorders affecting the nose and sinuses. Brett Comer, MD, FARS, and Alok T. Saini, MD, are fellowship-trained rhinology and anterior skull base surgeons, meaning that they have completed a 5-year general otolaryngology residency and a 1-year fellowship dedicated solely to rhino-logic and anterior skull base conditions. We have a wealth of experience with both medical and surgical management of the following conditions:

• Chronic sinusitis
• Nasal Polyps
• Nasal obstruction
• Olfactory dysfunction (decreased or altered sense of smell)
• Allergic and non-allergic rhinitis (runny nose)
• Septal deviation and perforation
• Cosmetic deformities and nasal trauma
• Paranasal sinus tumors
• Cerebrospinal Fluid leaks

The following services are provided:

• Primary and revision endoscopic sinus surgery
• Balloon dilation of the sinuses
• Allergy testing and immunotherapy (allergy shots)
• Septoplasty and correction of septal perforation
• Functional and cosmetic septorhinoplasty