Patient Resources - Information About Your Visit
New Patients
We look forward to meeting you on your initial visit to our offices. Our completely electronic medical record allows us to provide you with the highest quality care and optimal communication with your other health care providers. In addition, we know that every patient is different and has specific needs, and we will strive to provide you with personal, individualized attention.
What to expect
ENT doctors, or otolaryngologists, are trained in the medical and surgical treatment of patients with diseases and disorders of the ears, nose, throat (ENT), head, and neck. ENT is a subspecialty and requires specialized equipment to thoroughly examine and properly diagnose a patient’s complaint.
We understand that patients may be unfamiliar with these ENT techniques and equipment. Listed below is an idea of what to expect in an ENT consultation. However, not all of these methods will be necessary in every consultation and the techniques will vary given the individual needs of the patient and the nature of the complaint.
Ears
An otoscope is an instrument used to examine the ears and illuminate the eardrum. The instrument contains a light source with a small amount of magnification attached to it. This is not normally a painful experience and can be undertaken in all age groups.
Tuning forks are sometimes used during a consultation to gauge hearing. This non-invasive technique simply involves placing vibrating tuning forks at different parts of the head and face and adjusting the frequency to gauge a patient’s level of hearing.
During an examination of the ears, the eardrum and canal may also need to be viewed with a microscope. The microscope allows for binocular vision and depth of field. The use of microsuction may also be necessary to remove wax or debris from an ear canal.
Nose
To look at the front of the nose, a simple speculum is used with a headlight. Sometimes a rigid or flexible endoscope is also used, especially before or after nasal surgery. A nasal endoscopy is a diagnostic procedure that physicians use to view the inside of the nasal cavity and the entrance to the sinuses. It can be useful in diagnosing conditions such as infections or polyps. It is inserted through the nostril after a nasal decongestant or numbing medicine has been applied topically in a patient's nose. The endoscope is unable to enter the sinus cavities themselves, but it is used to examine the sinus openings. The procedure is low-risk but may be cause temporary discomfort.
Throat
The physician often conducts an external examination of the neck, manually feeling for glands and abnormalities.
The oral cavity can be thoroughly examined with a tongue depressor and good illumination to visualize the tongue and tonsillar area. The back of the nose and voice box may also require examination with a flexible nasolaryngoscope. This is a fine fiber optic cable (about half the width of a pencil) that is inserted into one side of the nose. Most patients find this very tolerable and it gives the surgeon a superb view of areas that are very difficult to examine otherwise. The whole procedure usually only takes a minute and is often required as part of a thorough ENT examination.
Please prepare for this by bringing:
- Health Insurance Card/Information
- A list of all medications you are taking
- A list of your questions /concerns
- A copy of your XRAYS / CT scans (not just the reports - please get the actual films as well)
- Copies of records from doctors related to your sinuses/nose/allergies/lungs.
New Patients: You now have the option of registering online before your visit. Please enter the Secure Patient Medical Web Office portal below and complete the online patient registration.
Secure Patient Medical Web Office (Patient Portal)
We have provided you with this online secure patient center to help us and you be more efficient in making an appointment, completing office forms, download procedure instructions, register as a new patient, complete medical history, request a Rx refill and health education search.
To save time in the waiting room, enter the Medical Web Office portal and fill out the Patient Registration Form and the Health Form. We can then review and input your information into your chart prior to your visit.
Click the Icons below to enter our secure patient Medical Web Office. You will be required to agree with our office privacy policy and the terms of use before entering.
Billing & Insurance
We accept most PPO's, Medicare and Brown and Toland Medical Group HMO's. You will be responsible for ALL co-pays, deductibles and non-covered services. We accept Visa, Mastercard, personal checks and cash.
If you have any questions regarding billing, please contact our office directly at 415-362-5443.
