GRUPPO OTOLOGICO
Knowing your way around Gruppo Otologico at your first visit
The Gruppo Otologico has two integral departments; The OUTPATIENT department (or the Poliambulatory) on the 2nd floor of the back block of the Casa Di Cura Hospital and the INPATIENT department (or the admission rooms/private wards) in the front block. There are also the diagnostic laboratories, the radiology departments, the operation rooms (OR) and the intensive care units (ICU) in the front block. Your first meeting with us will be at the outpatient department and depending on the diagnosis of your condition you may procede to the other areas.
Outpatient visits
Time: For information, appointments, booking visits and examinations, please contact the secretary from Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 17.00 hours.
Appointment: You can book an appointment by phone or go directly to one of our offices during the hours listed above. We strive to give you an appointment at the earliest possible opportunity because we are aware that your medical condition needs to be treated immediately and we also value your time. The appointment can be cancelled and a fresh appointment can be sought with a new date or time.
What to bring along during the visit: On your visit, please bring with you the Gruppo Otologico reference card along with required medical documents like audiogram, letters of your referring doctor, x-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, current prescriptions, etc. as they are essential, in addition to reports of radiological examinations and related plates.
Diagnostic tests: The Gruppo Otologico consists of doctors and other supporting staff like the audiology-speech & language therapists who collaborate together to diagnose your condition. In most cases there are only a few investigations that accompany clinical examination which can confirm a diagnosis. However sometimes for a definitive diagnosis of these diseases, especially more complex conditions of the ear, skull base and facial nerve, it becomes necessary to use sophisticated equipment and complex tests. At times this may even require more than one visit or even a short-term hospitalization.
Clinical evaluation of the patient
Otoneurologic general systemic evaluation: When a patient first presents his or her complaints, the treating physician performs a thorough clinical examination of the ear, the cranial nerves and other areas of ENT like the nose and throat. This is followed by a general examination of the body to look for other manifestations of the disease diagnosed.
This is accompanied by tests of hearing like the tuning fork tests that are a simple but effective way of hearing assessment and also tests to investigate the balance of the body associated with the inner ear like eliciting nystagmus, or nystagmus evoked by particular positions or positioning maneuvers quickly. The caloric stimulation may also be done to assess the integrity of the vestibular system.
Investigations: The following are the most commonly used investigations for diseases of the ear, nose, and the skull base.
Pure Tone Audiometry - The pure tone audiometry is the key test of the hearing as it allows us to assess how the patient perceives the sounds of different frequencies, either by air (through headphones) as well as by bone (through a bone vibrator). The examination requires active participation by the patient who must communicate with the examiner whether or not he/she is receiving the audio signals that are sent by the audiometer. The audiometric test should be performed in a quiet environment which makes it necessary to have a silent cabin for the examination of the patient.
Speech Audiometry - The speech audiometry is an important tool for diagnosis of hearing conditions and is essential in diagnostic audiology. With the help of speech audiometry we can assess the ability of a person to understand words, which is crucial in the implementation of an effective therapeutic strategy, either medical or surgical. In this test, phonetic speech (bisyllable words) recorded on tapes or disks is sent to the subject through a dedicated audiometer. The examination is held in the silent cabin through headphones or bone vibrator examining an ear at a time, the subject is asked to repeat the words that he comprehends at different intensities.
Impedance audiometry - The impedance audiometry is a series of tests for assessing the properties of transmission of middle ear structures (ear drum membrane and ossicular chain), the functionality of eustachian tube and ear muscles, particularly of stapedius muscle, and the pressure in the tympanic cavity. The examination is performed by inserting into the external auditory canal a rubber cap which conducts small pressure changes and sounds of varying intensities. The information obtained from this test is objective, i.e. it does not require the co-operation of the patient.
Auditory evoked potentials of the brainstem - This computerized test is very useful to determine the site of a disorder in the inner ear or the brain (brainstem) and to identify the degree of hearing loss in people unable to cooperate reliably in conventional audiometry. Small electrodes are placed on the skin at certain points of the head, this in order to record the electrical brain responses to auditory stimulation. The information obtained is processed with the help of a calculator to determine the location and type of hearing defect.
Otoendoscopy - The ENT visit is often supplemented by an instrumental examination called endoscopy using a telescope, light source and camera. Modern rigid and flexible endoscopes have the ability to capture images and movies to digital audio-visual and allow a careful study of all the areas of the ear, nose and throat and provide accurate documentation of diseases and anomalies, if any.
Rhinomanometry - It is the study of nasal respiratory function that is executed with a particular device called the Rhinomanometer. The tests are performed in two phases, before and after the decongestion of nasal mucosa obtained using vasoconstrictors. The examination is useful in order to prepare for surgery on the nose, to verify the benefit after the operation and to monitor its effectiveness.
Radiological investigations - This includes x-rays, computed tomography (CT) scanning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), angiography among others
Inpatient visits
Time: For information, appointments, booking visits and examinations, please contact the secretary from Monday to Friday from 9.00 to 17.00 hours.
Appointment: After your consultation at the outpatient department, if you need to be admitted for treatment of your disease, the treating doctor will give you an appointment for admission either for medical or surgical therapy. We strive to give you an appointment at the earliest possible opportunity because we are aware that your medical condition needs to be treated immediately and we also value your time. The appointment can be cancelled and a fresh appointment can be sought with a new date or time.
What to bring along during the admission: On your admission, please bring with you the Gruppo Otologico reference card along with required medical documents like audiogram, letters of your referring doctor, x-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, current prescriptions and the Internal Revenue Code. It is especially important to bring all relevant investigations during admission if you are an overseas visitor because if you have forget to bring any of the above we will have to repeat the investigation which is a waste of time and money for you.
The pre-admission: The pre-admission is carried out in the Department of Day Surgery. You must bring all the health records useful for intervention and in the case you are on any medications, you should bring your medicines with their packaging. Tests conducted during the pre-admission will possibly engage you for the whole morning. You do not need a doctor's prescription or health care professional to undertake these exams.
Admission: As you enter the hospital please approach the reception desk. Please ensure that you carry out all the financial payments and procedures directed by the reception. You can choose the room most suitable to your health and needs. Ordinarily, during admissions only one bystander or family member is allowed to accompany the patient in the room. Food and other amenities will be provided for the patient and the bystander for the duration of stay in the hospital.
Discharge: On discharge, you will be given a doctor's letter addressed to the referring general practitioner, the recommended therapy at home and guidance needed to ensure its continuation. In addition, included in the letter are all the information regarding the admission (diagnosis, treatment etc carried out). You can also ask the copies of medical records for a fee. The medical record is released to the patient, on request, within 30 working days from his discharge from the hospital. The copy will be mailed to the address indicated by the patient, with shipping costs be borne by cash on delivery.
Visits to patients by the family or bystanders is allowed daily from 6:00 am to 9:30 am and from 12 noon: 30 to 22:30.
World standard treatment and care at the