Paediatric ENT Surgery
The health of your child is vital to every parent. Even a simple cold can disrupt the household. A sick child can be a source of incredible anxiety for a parent. With two children of his own, Dr Magarey understands the importance of a healthy child. Matthew will take the time to listen to your concerns, search for answers, and explain how he will best treat your precious (when not screaming) little one. Common Paediatric ENT problems are listed below.
Snoring & Sleep Apnoea
A tired child is an unpredictable force of nature! Getting a poor night’s sleep due to snoring will result in moody behaviour, poor concentration and frequent napping. At the severe end of this is sleep apnoea. Watching your child stop breathing for several seconds at a time when sleeping is a worrying time for parents. Although snoring is a complex issue, in children it is often resolved with a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. This involves removing the tonsils and adenoids under a general anaesthetic. This is most often followed by an overnight stay in hospital with one parent allowed to share the room with their child. Results are usually instant and dramatic.
Speech Delay & Hearing loss
No parent wants to imagine their child having trouble with hearing and speech, but a simple hearing test can rule out any concern. The biggest cause of hearing loss in children is glue ear, which can be treated easily with grommets (small tubes inserted through the eardrum). This is a day procedure under a general anaesthetic, but it is almost painless and has instant results.
Ear Infections
A child screaming with an ear infection is NOT one of life’s joys. Mostly, these can be settled with pain relief and occasionally antibiotics. When these infections are happening frequently alternative treatments include grommets (small tubes inserted through the eardrum). This is a day procedure under a general anaesthetic, but it is almost painless and has instant results.
Recurrent Tonsillitis
Infection of the tonsils (tonsillitis) will result in pain, fevers, reduced food intake and missing school. When these infections occur frequently the disruption to the whole family is obvious. Removing the tonsils will eliminate any future episodes of tonsillitis. A tonsillectomy is performed under a general anaesthetic. This is most often followed by an overnight stay in hospital with one parent allowed to share the room with their child.