- 250 beds 
- Entire floor dedicated to Cardiac centre of excellence.
- 24hr Emergency unit
- Short stay unit

 - Maternity suite
- Paediatric ward

- 7 theatres

- Clinical pharmacy for in patients and outpatients

- State of the art radiology and pathology services

- Physiotherapy services

- 34 consulting rooms for specialists

- 420 secured parking bays on level land

  
   
 
Ear, Nose and Throat & Head and Neck Surgery

Ethekwini Hospital’s ENT department specialises in the management of diseases involving the ear, nose and throat, and in surgery for head and neck tumours.

In addition to basic ENT procedures such as tonsillectomy and grommet insertion, our ENT surgeons are able to offer advanced endoscopic surgery for sinusitis.

Head and neck tumour surgery, both for benign and for malignant conditions, are treated at Ethekwini hospital. This includes management of parotid and submandibular gland (salivary gland) pathology.

 		  
Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

A particular focus of the ENT department is the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), which is a condition associated with snoring and collapse of the upper airway soft tissues.

Obstructive sleep apnoea is a significant medical problem affecting up to 4 percent of middle-aged adults. During sleep apnoea, the soft tissues at the back of the throat collapse, causing an obstruction to air flow into the lungs. The lack of oxygen causes frequent arousals, or disturbance of the sleep pattern. The patient is not usually aware that this is happening, though these arousals can happen many times during a sleep cycle.

The repetitive cycles of snoring, airway collapse and arousal from deep sleep cause strain on the heart, and therefore patients with OSA are at higher risk of cardiovascular problems, e.g. hypertension, heart attacks           

 
 

Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

• Loud snoring
• Irritability due to interrupted sleep patterns
• Day time drowsiness
• Concentration problems
• Morning headaches

Ethekwini Hospital offers sleep studies (polysomnograms) to diagnose OSA. This usually involves an overnight stay at the hospital, during which various parameters are assessed. This testing can also be carried out in a patient’s home environment and is often preferable as more normal sleep patterns can be observed.

Treatment

Patients diagnosed with sleep apnoea often find relief through the use of a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine.

Other treatments include surgery to correct upper airway abnormalities which may contribute to airway collapse.
 

  
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