22 July 2021

Good ear nose and throat specialist?

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After being treated at Calvary hospital today for (yet again) another case of severe tonsilitis I’ve finally gotten a letter to give to my ear nose and throat specialist recommending that my tonsils be removed. Problem is, I dont have a specialist. Has anyone had good experiences with anyone they can suggest? I am only 18, so preferably someone who can explain things in words I can understand, or someone who is good with young people. Also, has anyone had their tonsils removed in Canberra and can give me some advice of what to expect, what hospital to go to etc… Any help is greatly appreciated.

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Carolyn Clarke10:27 am 26 Nov 17

My ent is retiring and his name is Dr Chapman. Is there anyone else you would recommend?

In Canberra I would definitely recommend dr safi Albekaa, in Deakin.

I had suffered years of breathing complications, snoring, sleep apnoea, chronic sinusitis, no sense of smell, chronic hay fever, bleeding nose every couple of days… the list goes on…

I was recommended to Dr Safi, and after a 6 month wait for the initial consultation I saw him and was the best thing I could’ve done.

He ended up performing a Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). Tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, turbinectomy, removed several polyps, reconstructed my deviated septum, drained and fixed all my sinuses and draining. As the anaesthesiologist called it… a hysterectomy of my head with an oil change! Lol

Was just a one night stay in hospital, dr safi was amazing, he explained everything (including the technical terms annunciation) and a concise but accurate break down of what was required, his persona was very friendly and reassuring. In total I had 15 itemised “parts” on my procedural list. Within a couple hours it was all completed, and I awoke about 5-6hrs later in my hospital room.

He came to check up on me and see how I was feeling, and I was literally up and walking around albeit not very straight due to being highly medicated…

Hospital staff were more than accommodating and the entire process (aside from the wait which couldn’t come fast enough) was incredible and well worth every last dime!

I’d strongly implore you to seek his help if you’re suffering with these conditions, months later we even took my 2yr old son to have a similar (but simpler) procedure due to these issues being hereditary.. it’s been a life changing experience!

I can recommend Dr Timothy Makeham. He was very informative, reassuring, and easy to chat to.

For all those wondering still in 2015…
Doctor Tack-Tsiew Lee (NET) is fantastic! He is a brilliant and informative doctor as well as a great surgeon.

I have just had my Nasal Septum realigned and Sinus Drainage improved.

Just be aware that it is not cheap to get these kind of surgeries done, and be prepared for the doctor to be 1-2 hours delayed for your appointments – I’m sure it’s not frequent but it can take some time.

They also do not have HiCaps so cannot submit any Health Fund or Medicare claims on your behalf so be prepared to be out of pocket after surgeon fees.

I Had a Tubinectomy which is a releatively straight forward procedure done through Dr Pham privately, it was the worst experience I have ever experienced in my life.

Several days after the operation I began experiencing severe nose bleeds, after going back to see him several times he advised that it would go away and dry up on its own.

Several days after my last appointment with him the nose bleeds becamse so severe that when i tipped my head backwards I would choke on the blood from my nose as it ran internally down my throat.

My father rushed me to our GP who basically told my father that if didnt go to the hospital striaght away I cloud become very sick or even die from swallowing so much blood internally.

After 3 nights in intensive care at Canberra hospital an awesome ENT Register who worked there Cortorised the internal wound caused from the Turbinectomy, surgery I had with Dr Pham. He couldn’t believe I had gone though all this when DR Pham could have just cortorised the wound in his office on the last visit.

Since then I have not returned to see DR pham, but am now seeing Dr Chapman who is most likely the best ENT specialist in canberra by far.

I was diagnosed and treated for vocal nodules by Dr Pham in the early 1990’s. I can’t speak highly enough of him. Where others might have recommended surgery and/or total voice rest (and my voice was my living at the time) Dr Pham referred me to a competent speech pathologist who gently guided me through a sustainable recovery – all on medicare. Since then I have sung over 1000 gigs and taught many young singers to sing freely sustainably and expressively.

My younger sister went to Dr. Pham in Garran for years, I asked my parents whether it was worth going back to him and they didn’t really think he was the best person I could find. I’ve got private health insurance, so hopefully I wont have to wait for years and years to have the operation, I’m pretty keen on getting this sorted out sooner rather than later. So far Dr Lee seems to be the best option, so I’ll give him a call at some point soon.

Antagonist said :

Dr Tack-Tsiew Lee @ John James MC. 6281 3566.

+1. Had a horrible year in 2007-08 where I had three consecutive bouts of Tonsilitis around Christmas time (was 29 at the time), quite severe, ended up doing some time at Calvary after I wasn’t able to keep the fluids up.

Finally got that letter from a GP and found Dr Lee to be very patient and careful to explain what needed to be done. Drew diagrams, the whole deal.

Was a private patient also, and was treated at National Capital Private. Was only there overnight. Didn’t enjoy the experience at the hospital once I came out of the fog of anesthetic (staff should always explain WHY they are about to stick you with a needle, and learn how to define “soft food”) but am SO GLAD to be rid of the tonsils now.

Dr Lee was also good for after surgery care too – gave his number for me to call if there was anything of concern. Certainly came in handy for a midnight phone call in the week or two after.

Stock up on Ice Cubes, clear fluids, and a good layering of painkillers, and get those suckers out. You’ll be glad to be rid of ’em.

I had my tonsillectomy three weeks ago at John James. My surgeon was Dr Peter Champan, who is based at the Lydia Perrin Hospital in Deakin. He was brilliant. Really nice guy.

As far as advice for anyone facing this kind of surgery, the one thing that you need to know is that you are going to need chewing gum … lots and lots of chewing gum. Of all the painkillers I was prescribed, chewing gum was the only thing that reliably eased the pain. Chewing triggers saliva production which soothes and assists in healing your throat, this will make your recovery faster, easier and less painful.

You’ll need to get plenty of fluids and plenty of rest. Get used to the idea early, and don’t push yourself or you’ll go backwards. Take it from someone who can’t resist doing just that!

I didn’t find the surgery as bad as it was made out to be. I was able to talk as soon as I woke up, and I felt fine most of the time, just tired. The healing process is really more uncomfortable than painful, but only if you stay hydrated and keep chewing your gum.

Good luck with your surgery! You’ll feel better for it.

We have been v happy with Dr Pham @ Garran – explained everything thoroughly to me and my (now 18 yo) son. He appears to do both public and private patients. We have waited over 12 months on the public list but the op is now imminent (Calvary Public) 🙂

I can report back once it occurs if you like.

I had an adenoidectomy two years ago. General anesthetic was pretty fun, the only pain I felt was the needle before hand and I ate jelly and toast for two weeks rather than ice cream as milk product tend to coat the throat.

Have fun.

Dr Tack-Tsiew Lee @ John James MC. He did my sons throat at age 6 weeks and will be doing my 5 year old daughters tonsils within the next 6 months. I have nothing but praise for him – fantastic surgeon! He is private, but takes a certain number of public patients each year also. 6281 3566.

Hope this helps.

I have had life-long ear problems.

I have been seeing Dr Safi Albekaa in the Clinical Services Building at John James.
I go in every every 6 months for a review. I have been quite happy with him.

ENT specialists deal a lot with young children. I have had at least one specialist who did not change his manner when dealing with an aware and questioning adult patient. Finding some-one you are comfortable with, and will give you as much information as you require or can absorb is important.

Be prepared for a long wait to get your initial appointment with the ENT specialist you decide on. There are not that many here, and the good ones are pretty busy. If you need this done quickly you may be better to look at someone in Sydney (if that is an option for you).

If you are treated as a private patient, budget for some large out-of-pocket expenses, even if you have have private health insurance. I am assuming from the information given that you are planning to treated privately. Hate to think what the waiting list for public treatment would be.

Disclaimer: I have not needed any surgery since I have been seeing Dr Albekaa. Thought I might when I initially went there, but alternative treatment worked.

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