Surgical Referral Needed in Florida

[o2deep4o2long]

My pal needs to get his ear drum repaired. (The local doc botched the last two attempts) :shakehead

Any recommendations in Florida (between Daytona and Key Largo)?

 

[fisherdvm]

Asking opinion like this will get you a poll of 1 person. I would suggest, if you have the time, to call every family doctor and internist in the local area, and ask them who they referred patients to for ENT care. When the same name pops up multiple times, you've got the right doctor.

If it is the right doctor, the waiting time might be 2 to 4 months. Or perhaps more, unless you get and urgent referral from a primary care doc.

 

[gert7to3]

Contacting local dive shops in the area and DAN might turn up a referral for you.

Want to share how the botch up occurred?

 

[fisherdvm]

I would not necessary blame the surgeon if the ear drum ruptured again from barotrauma. It is better to blow the ear drum and not the oval window of the inner ear.

If your friend still has eustachian tube dysfunction, and chose to dive without the ability to easily clear his ear, no matter how well the ear drum repair is, you will blow it out again. If diving is his love, he might want to discuss the use of decongestants and antihistamines with his ENT / diving doc. There are much controversies on scubaboard about this matter, and I would leave it to the doc.

 

[dk2943]

Initially, I had trouble clearing my ears. I contacted DAN and they sent me to an ENT who understood diving at Mercy Hospital. I think his name was Grobman