specialist ENT sUrgeon
About Dr Paul Steyn
MBChB MMED (Stell) FCS (SA) ORL
I work in all areas of the ENT field with much of my operating time spent removing tonsils and adenoids and inserting grommets. I also have special interests in middle ear surgery, endoscopic sinus surgery and have had great success with diagnosing and treating painful conditions of the ear as well as vertigo conditions.
Having qualified with my medical MBChB degree at UCT I worked further in the fields of paediatrics, respiratory medicine, cardiology and radiology at Red Cross Children’s Hospital and Groote Schuur Hospital before commencing training in ENT at Tygerberg hospital through the University of Stellenbosch. Tygerberg hospital is well grounded in surgery of the ear, head and neck surgery, and has a long-established endoscopic sinus surgery unit experience to be gained.
The field of ENT has advanced greatly in recent years. Endoscopic sinus surgery has evolved with the image of the operating field now projected onto a high-definition screen, rather than the surgeon looking directly through the endoscope which improves visibility enormously and increases safety.
More recently we have been most fortunate to have had the addition of Neuronavigation for difficult sinus surgery cases. It allows the surgeon to have a constant three-dimensional awareness of exactly where he is working in the sinuses, allowing for more complete clearance of disease while increasing safety and reducing the chance of complications.
It has always been my practice to approve patients for sinus surgery carefully as not all patients with sinus symptoms will benefit from surgery and my experience is important when making decisions in this regard. Many patients can have their symptoms alleviated by appropriate medication.
Regular attendance of refresher courses and surgical skill workshops has been vital to stay abreast of developments in both the medical and surgical side of management of diseases of the ears, nose and sinuses.
Middle ear surgery principles have been well established since the advent of the operating microscope in the 1960s.
Significant advances have been made with regards to achieving lasting hearing improvement and this has become the goal of all ear operations. Long hours spent in the temporal bone laboratory at Tygerberg Hospital have equipped me for the various middle ear operations that I need to perform.
Tonsillectomy has been around for over two thousand years and although surgical techniques have evolved it remains a painful operation to recover from irrespective of which method is used. It is my practice to use the method that is the most appropriate for you and which has the lowest complication rate.
ABOUT THE PRACTICE
This practice has served the people of East London for twenty-five years. We are situated in a free-standing heritage house at 31 St James Road. This is conveniently situated between Life St Dominic’s Hospital and St James Hospital. Access to East London Private and Life Beacon Bay is also convenient.
While the majority of my surgery is performed at the excellent Life St James Hospital, service is also provided to these other hospitals. In addition, at least once a month I travel to Queenstown to consult and perform surgery at Life Queenstown Private Hospital. In the matter of staffing Mrs. Beryl Smith, nee Richter(accounts) and Sr Elize Lodewyk (reception and procedures) have been with the practice since its inception. The premises are ably maintained by Mr Singatha Oliphant.
Our ever-growing practice has over 38 thousand patients on the books. Quite a few of our patients have been attending since the early days, a testimony to our friendly and competent staff and good medical care. East London is a surprisingly cosmopolitan city and we see patients from all over Africa and not infrequently visitors from overseas. I am fluent in English and Afrikaans and have growing competency in isiXhosa and French.
We have always made it our priority to provide quality service while recognizing the economic realities. We accommodate all medical aids with some requiring modest co-payments for certain procedures. In addition, a nominal levy is due with the first visit of the year per family.
We are also able to refer patients who are unable to afford the hospitalisation to our highly competent specialists of the local state hospital to ensure problems don’t go untreated.
