Our pediatric Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Program, helps babies, kids and teens. We work with your child's regular doctor to come up with a plan to care for the ENT needs. This helps your child get the best care over time.
Our physicians participate and lead in many specialized multidisciplinary programs at Children's Wisconsin.
Why Choose Children’s Wisconsin for Ear, Nose and Throat
Large, multidisciplinary team: We have more than a dozen board-certified specialists who provide comprehensive pediatric ENT care at multiple locations. Physicians participate and lead in many specialized multidisciplinary programs at Children’s Wisconsin.
Koss Cochlear Implant Program: Our team of specialists diagnoses and treats patients in the largest cochlear implant program in the state of Wisconsin. We work with children who have severe to profound hearing loss, including children who may be cochlear implant candidates or children who already have cochlear implants. We offer peace of mind by evaluating every single newborn to find possible hearing loss before you take your baby home.
Pediatric Voice Program: We play a leading role in the treatment of children with disorders that impact voice and breathing. Our multidisciplinary approach includes laryngologists and speech and language pathologists.
Aerodigestive Disorders Program: We treat children with complex feeding and airway issues.
Conditions the ENT Program Treats
ENT Disorder Treatments
Children's Wisconsin can treat your child's common and severe or rare ENT conditions. Some tests and treatments for general ENT disorders include:
- Nasal endoscopy
- Imaging
- Ear tubes
- Endoscopic sinus surgery
- Deviated septum surgery (also called septoplasty)
Upper Airway Obstruction Treatments
Enlarged tonsils and adenoids are the most common cause of airway blockage in children. The most common treatment is surgery, including:
Other tests and treatments might include:
- X-ray
- Surgery
- Evaluation of the airway with a scope
- Abscess drainage
Hearing Loss Treatments
Our specialized team diagnoses and treats pediatric hearing loss. Different tests and treatments include:
- Hearing test
- Hearing aids
- Cochlear implants
- Special training
- Medicines
- Surgery
Speech, Language and Voice Treatments
Our voice clinic team is staffed by physicians and therapists from a variety of specialties. They work together to diagnose your child's condition and create a customized treatment plan.
Voice clinic treatment procedures include:
- Viewing the upper airway including the voice box (also call videostroboscopy)
- Viewing the lungs (also call bronchoscopy)
- Vocal fold injection (also called injection laryngoplast)
Swallowing Disorder Treatments
Our multidisciplinary Aerodigestive Disorders Program provides a comprehensive approach to treating children with complex feeding and airway issues, including swallowing disorders. The clinic is staffed with specialists from different disciplines who will evaluate your child's conditions and work as a team to devise a treatment plan.
Children typically seen in clinic may have other conditions and therefore they may require a variety of treatments. Some include:
- Changing your child's diet
- Drug therapy
- Surgery
- Feeding tubes
Facial and Neck Mass Treatments
There are a wide range of facial and neck mass disorders and each one has a specific test and treatment. Depending on which disorder your child has, one or more of the following tests and treatments could be performed to diagnose and treat the face and neck mass disorder.
- MRI and CAT scans
- X-rays
- Ultrasound
- Biopsy
- Blood and urine tests
- Abscess drainage
- Stretching exercises and infant stimulation
- Antibiotic medication
- Surgical removal
- Lymphangiogram (LAG) test of the lymphatic system
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation
- Bone marrow transplant
Craniofacial
Our ENT Program works in conjunction with our Center for Craniofacial Disorders to devise treatment plans for children with common to complex disorders and plastic surgery needs.
- Treatment and surgery for cleft lip and cleft palate disorders are done at our Cleft Lip and Palate program
- Birthmarks and vascular irregularities are treated at our Birthmarks and Vascular Anomalies Center
Tests and treatments of craniofacial disorders may include:
- Surgery
- Helmet or remodeling band for the head (orthotics)
- Observation (in case of certain birthmarks)
- Medication and/or oral steroids
- Laser therapy
Facial Trauma Treatments
Children's Wisconsin ENT physicians are here to help when a face injury occurs. We will first ensure that your child's airway is still open and he or she can breathe. If you determine the face injury to be an emergency, take your child to the emergency room or dial 911.
Treatments for face injuries include:
- Bandages and wound treatment
- Stitches (or suturing open wounds)
- Ice
- Antibiotics and pain killers
- Moving bones back into place
- Surgery
Tracheal Disorder Treatments
Children's Wisconsin is one of approximately five hospitals in the United States with the expertise to care for infants and children with complex tracheal disorders. Our ENT physicians work in conjunction with a cardiothoracic surgeon (heart and lung surgeon) in treating tracheal disorders. Tests and treatments include:
- Breathing tests (also called pulmonary function tests)
- X-rays
- Procedure to view lungs (also called bronchoscopy)
- Procedure to view the larynx and vocal cords (also called microlaryngoscopy)
- Guided tube procedure (through mouth and into esophagus)
- Biopsy
- Surgery
- Observation
Tracheostomy Dependent Children
We treat kids who are dependent on a tube and/or ventilator to help them breathe long term. Our ENT physicians work with Pulmonary Medicine Program to devise treatments for children with complicated breathing issues. Our caring staff will also work with your family to devise long term occupational therapy solutions.
Multidisciplinary Programs
We have a number of multidisciplinary programs to treat various conditions. ENT physicians lead the following programs (and other medical specialists contribute):
- Koss Cochlear Implant Program
- Airway and Digestive Disorder Program
- Saliva Control Program
- Pediatric Facial Plastic
- Multidisciplinary Sinus Program
- Voice Program
- Master's Family Speech and Hearing Center
ENT physicians participate in the following programs in which specialists from other areas lead:
- Vascular Anomalies program (led by dermatology)
- Cleft lip/palate (led by craniofacial)
- Tracheal team (led by cardiothoracic surgery)
- Tracheostomy/ventilator program (led by pulmonary)
- Maternal Fetal Medicine
- Velocardiofacial program (led by genetics)
Our Locations
Our Doctors
At Children's Wisconsin, our doctors are 100% committed to the health and well-being of kids. They care for every aspect of a child's health, including their physical, social, dental and mental well-being. We are a community of dedicated professionals who shares an unwavering passion to care for kids whenever and wherever they need us.
