Surgery

There are two parotid glands in the body - one on each side of the face. Their job is to secrete saliva into the mouth, along with the submandibular glands and the many minor salivary glands all over the lining of the mouth and throat. Occasionally, a lump can develop in the gland and start to grow. Normally, these lumps are painless and grow slowly.

80% of parotid lumps are benign and 80% of these are pleomorphic adenomas. I would examine your mouth and throat, neck, ears and check the inside of your nose and throat with a camera to make sure there are no other lesions seen. I also check to see that your face is moving as each parotid gland has a facial nerve running through it which is responsible for moving that half of the face. If the some or all the face is not moving, there…

Outer ear infections affect the skin of the ear canal. In medical speak, they are called "otitis externa". They can be triggered by swimming, using cotton buds, or touching the ear. The ear canal swells up and the hearing can become muffled. The ear can become exquisitely painful. Patients are often inadequately treated with multiple courses of oral antibiotics in the community and the infection can fester for weeks and months.

When patients come to see me there is often some smelly green or yellow discharge lining the ear canal. I use a microsuction device to vacuum away discharge so the antibiotic ear drops to can be in contact with the infected ear canal skin. I would suggest lying on your side for 5-10 minutes and allowing the drops to percolate into the ear. Within a few days the pain should settle, but I would normally suggest you carry on…

Ear wax is naturally produced by the skin of the ear canal. It helps to prevent infection in the outer ear and lubricates the skin. Normally, as wax is produced, it can move outwards as the jaw opens and closes, and it is shed out of the ear with some dead skin.

However, sometimes the wax can build up and block the ear. When this happens, the hearing can become muffled, you might feel off balance, and the ear might come uncomfortable or even painful. It doesn’t help when some people use cotton buds to try to remove the wax. Cotton buds can scratch the delicate lining of the ear canal, and can cause an infection, or push the wax further in - impacting it.

Wax can be dissolved by ear drops: the best type are sodium bicarbonate. You can administer 3 drops 3 times a day for 2…

I perform complex, refined, and elegant surgery to improve the shape of the nose and the breathing through the nose. You might have injured your nose or, over time, it can grow and bend unnaturally.

You greet people with your face, and your nose is critical to the way you look.

Coming to see me, for this type of surgery, is a bespoke experience created for you, as an individual.

For me, rhinoplasty is art brought to life. It is poetry in its physical form. When I do this surgery, I create a living sculpture, unique to you, that you will wear, in the middle of your face, everyday, for the rest of your life.

I rebuild your nose to suit you, and blend in with the rest of your face. I want it to function well and for you to be able to breathe comfortably through the nose.