Surgery (removing the tonsils and/or adenoids) is recommended when the above problems are excessive or not controlled with conservative medical management.
Broomfield • Brighton • Golden
The telltale signs of a damaged throat include dry windpipes, a hoarse voice, and frequent urges to clear your throat.
Peak ENT is a Denver otolaryngology specialist focused on ENT or ear, nose and throat issues. As a voice clinic in Colorado, we provide patients with comprehensive voice and throat care. Peak ENT’s physicians are Colorado’s best when it comes to picking a doctor for your throat issues.
Some of the symptoms we treat include:
Seeing a physician is essential if your voice has been hoarse for more than three weeks. Any severe changes to your voice after a few days might be a sign of something serious, as well. These could be a sign of thyroid problems, heartburn, voice box trauma, or neurological disorders that need immediate medical attention.
Our treatment options include simple behavioral changes to surgery. We treat various throat and voice disorders to help restore your voice, breathing, and ability to swallow.
Set an appointment with us today.
1. Oral preparatory phase: food is chewed and mixed with saliva, forming into a cohesive collection called a “bolus.” This bolus is positioned on the tongue for the next phase.
2. Oral transit phase: the tongue pushes the prepared bolus from front to back into the pharynx, where the next phase is automatically triggered.
3. Pharyngeal phase: an automated sequence of muscle contractions occurs which lifts the larynx and pulls it forwards, closes the vocal cords, closes a flap called the epiglottis over the vocal cords and airway, directs the food bolus towards the opening of the esophagus and opens the sphincter at the upper end of the esophagus to allow the bolus to pass.
4. Esophageal phase: slowest phase (can take up to 20 seconds). Bolus is transferred from the upper end of the esophagus to the stomach. Gravity helps with this process, as well as coordinated muscle movements in the esophagus called peristaltic waves.
If a cause still cannot be determined, a transnasal esophagoscopy (TNE) may be recommended. During this procedure, a specialized scope is placed through the nose and all the way down the esophagus to the stomach. Traditionally, gastroenterologists perform similar upper-GI endoscopies (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy or EGD) under sedative anesthesia which requires close monitoring and extended recovery time. Otolaryngologists with special training now perform this procedure in the office with minimal discomfort. TNE has proven useful for diagnosing esophageal disorders such as strictures (narrowing), infectious/inflammatory diseases and abnormal pre-malignant or malignant lesions at the gastro-esophageal junction (Barrett’s Esophagus and carcinomas).
Overall risks related to surgery are low, however the recovery period is predictably long and rough. A severe sore throat is to be expected, which typically gets worse before it gets better, peaking around day 6 or 7 on average. Recovery is usually worse and longer in teenagers and adults than in younger children. Typically children will need about 1 week off from school to recover. Adults may need 2 weeks off work. Heavy physical activity and sports should be avoided for 2 weeks.
The surgeons at Peak ENT will be with you every step of the way during the recovery process. One of our four physicians is always on call and reachable for the group, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We do not share calls with other groups, nor do we have residents or mid-level providers covering our calls.
Surgery (removing the tonsils and/or adenoids) is recommended when the above problems are excessive or not controlled with conservative medical management.
Airway disorders include abnormalities that affect the anatomy of the upper airway (throat and trachea). Patients present with difficulty breathing that may be gradual or sudden. Causes of airway obstruction include swelling from infections, inflammatory diseases, benign or malignant tumors, or scar tissue that narrows the breathing passage.
Specific treatments are aimed at the underlying cause and may include medications and/or surgical intervention. Our physicians perform an in-office endoscopy with specialized scopes to make the diagnosis quickly and safely.
Digital endoscopes not only offer impeccable diagnostic imaging, they have the advantage of serving a therapeutic role as well. Our scopes are equipped with working channels that enable Dr. King to perform minimally invasive in-office procedures that previously had to be carried out in the operating room under general anesthesia (full sedation).
Dr. King specializes in performing procedures under local anesthesia without sedation. Peak ENT is truly unique in offering our patients a variety of procedures without the added risks and recovery time that come with general anesthesia. Only a few major medical centers around the country have the equipment and expertise needed to carry out the same procedures that Dr. King performs in Broomfield and Golden facilities. In fact, he is the only physician in Colorado to offer non-sedated, minimally invasive laser surgeries of the larynx and upper airway.
The providers of Peak ENT perform transnasal esophagoscopy in the office and are proud to offer our patients this lower risk, lower cost alternative to traditional upper endoscopy.
The physicians at Peak ENT will perform a thorough examination of the nose, sinuses and throat to help determine the likely cause(s) of your cough.
Peak ENT offers allergy testing if allergies are suspected as a cause of your cough.
Many patients with chronic cough will benefit from voice therapy. The providers at Peak ENT work closely with Julie Artigliere, Ph.D, a speech and language pathologist specializing in voice disorders and cough.