A Day in the Life of a Singapore ENT Specialist

Do you ever wonder what happens in a "typical" day of a top Ear Nose Throat (ENT) specialist in Singapore? Each day is so exciting for me as a busy ENT specialist! Every patient we see and treat is completely different, although they may seem to suffer similar ENT symptoms! I see my ENT patients at ENTcare specialist clinic at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. But our patients can also choose where to have their ENT surgery. Some patients prefer Gleneagles Hospital because Gleneagles is closer to their home.

So what happens first thing in the morning as an ENT specialist in Singapore? I travel to one of the hospitals to see my ward patients who have been admitted for elective ENT surgery. Some patients have been admitted urgently for severe ENT conditions which have made them unwell. So I have to examine my patients and provide the relevant treatment plans to the ward nurses. After this, I head down to our top ENT clinic in Singapore. Here, I start seeing new and follow-up patients with my clinic nurses.

First, we assess every new ENT patient with a thorough history-taking. They then need a detailed examination to decide what the next course of action is. Do they need a scan like a CT of their sinuses? Or an MRI scan of their inner ears? Do they need allergy testing to investigate their blocked runny nose, sneezing and watery eyes? Do they need an accurate hearing test which we do in our clinic? We always try to arrange all the investigations on the same day in the same place to save our patients time and hassle. At ENTcare Clinic Singapore, we know you're all very busy people!

At the follow-up appointment, we want to check if patients feel better after taking the medications prescribed. We will review any outstanding test results with them to decide if further tests are necessary. If the medications don't help much, then some patients will consider surgery to treat their ENT condition.

As a busy ENT specialist in Singapore, I also perform surgery for patients who aren't getting better despite medication. Here is a simple overview.

For example, what happens if a ruptured eardrum fails to heal and keeps on becoming infected? Then we may discuss surgery to repair the eardrum "hole". The aim of surgery is to give you a dry, safe ear to prevent further ear infections. If someone finds it difficult to breathe through their blocked nose, then they may need surgery. The purpose of nose surgery is to unblock the swollen tissue inside their nose and correct any deviated nasal septum. If someone keeps suffering severe sore throats, then he or she may need surgery to remove their tonsils (tonsillectomy). It really depends on their symptoms and how badly they are suffering!

On some days, we go to the operating theatre to perform surgery on patients with nose, ear and throat problems. I change into a clean scrub suit, wear a special cap to cover my hair. I also change clean, comfortable shoes. It also means checking and re-checking that all the equipment I need is in good working order! There's nothing worse than having the light bulb in the microscope suddenly go out halfway while operating on somebody's ear! Believe it or not, that has happened to me before….

For sinus surgery, we have to check that the CT scan is ready to help us plan with an image-guided system (IGS). The IGS acts as a GPS map for your sinuses. For ear surgery, we also need the facial nerve monitor which is an alarm system. This beeps if we come near the important facial nerve when operating in the ear. But a good surgeon will usually know exactly where everything is based on knowledge of anatomy, skill and experience!

I like to bring in my own special set of ear instruments when operating. Why? Sometimes, these are not available in the sets provided by the hospital. For throat surgery, including tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, we ensure that the coblation system is ready for use: A special electric current bathed in cool saline to help us cut soft tissue without causing much heat damage. The list of things to check and prepare sometimes seems endless but it's all part of being a safe and competent ENT surgeon.

After the ENT surgery is completed, we go over to the recovery area to check on our postoperative patients. I always make sure they have woken up well after surgery. Then I call the patient's family to update them and reassure them that all went well. After that, it's time to quickly grab a well-earned bite to eat (and the obligatory cup of tea!). I then return to ENTcare Clinic to continue seeing patients. We don't always get this lunch break, though. So it's tough not to be able to have lunch until after 2 pm, trying to gobble down something in 5 minutes before starting the busy afternoon clinic.

Not forgetting, of course, there is often a lot of paperwork to plough through and finish off. We usually have memos to write for patients and insurance forms to fill in for patients to proceed with their claims. Then we have medical reports to write, medicolegal reports to complete for court cases and accident-related cases. Not to forget to answer numerous emails from patients, families, insurers, colleagues, and other specialists!

I usually finish my day by about 5.30pm. But if I am on-call covering for ENT emergency cases, then I may still continue working to see both adult and child patients in the Accident and Emergency department of the different hospitals.

What about working during the weekend? My ENT specialist clinic is usually open on Saturday mornings in addition to the usual weekday working hours: Saturdays are quite popular with patients, probably because people have to work on weekdays and can't find the time to have their ENT conditions sorted out. Even on Sundays, I may still have to come in to see ward patients or ill patients who are not yet ready to be discharged home.

Sometimes, we have to appear in court as expert witnesses for ENT medicolegal cases or to provide professional opinions from different perspectives. These include accident-related cases which have caused tinnitus, dizziness, headaches, fractures of the nose or ear bones. This adds a refreshing note to my regular line of work: After all, variety is the spice of life :)

Ultimately, no patient is exactly the same. Every single patient has a valid, unique concern for us to listen to. We just want to try to help them get better! That's really what makes being an ENT specialist in Singapore interesting, exciting and enjoyable. There is no doubt that I love my job: Hear well, breathe well, sleep well and live well!