Ear Services & Treatments

The Michigan Ear Institute is one of the nations leading surgical groups specializing in hearing, dizziness, inner ear, skull base, and facial nerve disorders in adults and kids.

Audiology - The Michigan Ear Institute’s audiology staff possesses an outstanding clinical resume as well as having much experience in research. Areas of expertise include audiometric testing, auditory brainstem evoked response testing, advanced vestibular testing including electronystagmography, rotary chair testing and posturography testing. In addition various clinical electrophysiologic tests are done on site including electrocochleography to help test for Meniere’s disease and electroneuronography to aid in the diagnosis of facial nerve weakness. Recently, the addition of the OMNIAX has improved diagnosis and treatment of many patients suffering from dizziness.

Hearing Aid Center - The Michigan Ear Institute Hearing Aid Center specializes in state-of-the-art hearing aid devices including both analog and digital hearing aids. Custom fitting and modern diagnostic testing insure a good match between the hearing impaired patient and their hearing aid. In addition to hearing aids, tinnitus maskers and tinnitus tapes and CD’s are also made available.

Hearing Disorders - Conductive and sensorineural hearing losses are types of hearing disorders which can be identified with hearing tests. Both of these types of hearing losses are treatable. Conductive hearing loss can be treated with either surgical intervention, conventional hearing aid, or implantable device. Nerve deafness can now be treated with hearing aids or, if severe, with cochlear implantation. Occasionally, certain medicines can be used to improve hearing losses depending on their type, onset, and severity.

Dizziness and Balance - The Dizziness, Balance, and Falls Center at the Michigan Ear Institute has been recognized internationally as an outstanding clinical program for the diagnosis and treatment of balance disorders. After diagnosing the balance problem various treatment modalities including medical, surgical, and vestibular rehabilitation can improve overall balance function. Common balance disorders which we see include Meniere’s disease, benign positional vertigo, vestibular neuritis, post traumatic dizziness, among other processes.

Facial Nerve Disorders - Michigan Ear Institute has been at the forefront in developing treatment modalities for facial nerve dysfunction including Bell’s palsy and traumatic facial nerve paralysis. The various treatment programs including medications, surgery, and reanimation procedures have been used to improve overall facial function. State of the art diagnostic testing has been able to predict the outcome of a patients with facial nerve weakness. Electrical stimulation may be used as well in order to assist our patients during their recovery.

Acoustic Tumor Surgery - Tumors of the hearing and balance nerves arising between the inner ear and brainstem have been extensively studied at the Michigan Ear Institute. Modern diagnostic testing including auditory brainstem evoked response testing and MRI testing are currently in use. Surgical removal of these tumors has resulted in excellent quality of life with minimal side effects. Intra-operative facial nerve monitoring has markedly lessened the incidence of facial nerve weakness generally associated with these tumors.

Neurotologic Skull Base Surgery - Tumors arising at the base of skull including glomus jugulare tumors, meningiomas and various neuromas of the cranial nerves are now being successfully treated by a combined neurosurgical and neurotologic approach. With the use of sophisticated monitoring techniques during surgery, the ability to spare nerves associated with these tumors has been markedly increased. Pioneering work using endoscopic techniques have assisted in removal of tumors with less patient morbidity.

Pediatric Otology - Pediatric ear problems including recurrent ear infections, congenital, and anatomical deformities of the ear, dizziness, and progressive hearing losses are some of the many childhood otologic disorders that are treated at the Michigan Ear Institute.

Cochlear Implant Surgery - In patients who have severe to profound nerve hearing losses, a cochlear implant or bionic ear offer a chance at hearing restoration. The cochlear implant team consisting of physicians and audiologists work closely with severely hearing impaired patients throughout the entire implant process. This includes surgical implantation of the implant and extensive rehabilitation in order to regain hearing function.

Otosclerosis and Stapes Surgery - Otosclerosis is a disease of the middle ear bones and sometimes the inner ear. Otosclerosis is a common cause of hearing impairment and is rarely hereditary.

Chronic Ear Infections & Surgical Treatment - The diagnosis of chronic otitis media (long standing infections of the middle ear) has been determined as the cause of your ear problem. The reason that you have come to Michigan Ear Institute may be due to several factors from the diagnosis of chronic ear infection. This may cause drainage from your ear, hearing impairment, tinnitus (head noise), dizziness, ear pain, or facial weakness. The symptoms that you may be having depend on the extent of the disease and where the disease is located.