Otorhinolaryngology
surgical subspeciality concerned with ear, nose, and throat conditions
Otorhinolaryngology ( oh-toh-RY-noh-LARR-in-GOL-ə-jee, abbreviated ORL), also known as otolaryngology, otolaryngology – head and neck surgery (ORL–H&N or OHNS), or ear, nose, and throat (ENT), is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the surgical and medical management of conditions of the head and neck. Doctors who specialize in this area are called otorhinolaryngologists, otolaryngologists, head and neck surgeons, or ENT surgeons or physicians.
The ear, nose, and throat operate as an interconnected system, linked to each other via the Eustachian tube.
Patients seek treatment from an otorhinolaryngologist for diseases of the ear, nose, throat, base of the skull, head, and neck. These commonly include functional diseases that affect the senses and activities of eating, drinking, speaking, breathing, swallowing, and hearing. In addition, ENT surgery encompasses the surgical management of cancers and benign tumors, reconstruction of the head and neck, and plastic surgery of the face, scalp, and neck.
In modern otorhinolaryngology, laser-assisted surgical techniques are used for various indications. Depending on the laser system and clinical indication, these techniques can be used for tissue resection, coagulation, or vaporization. They may provide a minimally invasive and tissue-sparing approach to lesions and are often associated with good hemostasis.
Etymology
The term is a combination of Neo-Latin combining forms (oto- + rhino- + laryngo- + -logy) derived from four Ancient Greek words: (cf.
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This entry incorporates text from “Otorhinolaryngology” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.