Faqs

Nasal congestion is a real pain! It leads to embarrassing noisy breathing, discomfort, crusting, mouth breathing and poor sleep. Additionally, it can contribute to medical issues such as sleep apnea, bad breath and poor dental health.Understanding your nasal anatomy may be helpful to understand why you struggle to breath through your nose. Discussing your symptoms with a qualified ENT who is familiar with both medical and surgical treatment options may provide you with a substantial improvement in your quality of life. In fact, I would suggest that my nasal surgery patients are among my most satisfied patients!

A: Aside from being embarrassing and very bothersome to anyone sleeping in the same room as you, snoring can be an indicator of a more serious problem… OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA (OSA). This is a disease process that affects up to 30% of the adult population in the US! Symptoms include low energy, sleepiness, frequent headaches, nasal congestion, weight gain, and concentration difficulties. Click on this link (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) to complete a questionnaire to help assess your risk for OSA.A score of greater than 8 warrants discussion with your ENT or Otolaryngologist. The links below will take you to other videos that can provide you with more information on the disease process, its risks, and some treatment options.

Absolutely! There are many things we can do for you at El Paso Head and Neck Surgery to help improve the appearance of disfiguring scars of the head and neck. The skin is actually the largest organ of the body and is quite complex in its makeup. An ENT surgeon with experience in facial cosmetics is a very good option for the evaluation and treatment of conditions of the skin of the head and neck. Additionally, I work closely with dermatologists in town to make sure I can advise you and guide you to the optimal care for your specific problem.

The short answer is, “Yes!”. A neck mass, especially in adults, should be evaluated by a qualified and board-certified ENT doctor. This is especially true if it has been present for more than a month, if it is growing, or if it is painful. The list of possible diagnoses is long. It could be an infection. It could be a lymph node (image) that is swollen because you were recently ill. It could be a benign growth. It could be a skin cyst. But the time-sensitive reason this needs to be checked by an otolaryngologist is that it could also be an early sign of CANCER! Don’t worry. Dr. Westbrook is ready to help you figure out how to best treat this condition.

It is hard to overstate how significant the impact sleep apnea can have on a person’s quality of life. In adults, sleep apnea is associated with increased risk for stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, weight gain and early death. In children it can be associated with significant cognitive developmental delay and behavioral issues and many other complications.I can help you determine whether or not this is something you’re experiencing or at risk of experiencing. I can help you understand your surgical and non-surgical treatment options. I am uniquely qualified to help with your surgical options that may require the capabilities offered by robotic-assisted surgery. As of the writing of this post I am the only ENT surgeon in El Paso offering this level of surgical care. Please see the videos below for additional information on this condition.

Sinonasal pathology is very common in this part of the country. Our windy and dusty environment contributes to chronic rhinitis which is frequently the underlying cause of sinusitis. At El Paso Head and Neck Surgery clinic we have the expertise, experience and diagnostic technology to manage these complaints. You will be pleased with the honest and thorough care you receive with us for your sinonasal complaints. We have a CT scanner in the clinic to help us determine if you need medical or surgical management. If we determine that your complaints require surgical management I perform balloon sinuplasty in the office. I also perform functional endoscopic sinus surgery in the operating room. Please reference the links below to help you understand sinusitis in more detail.