Ear, Nose & Throat

Nasal Endoscopy Performed to Diagnose Nose and Sinus Problems

Nasal endoscopy is an outpatient procedure in which an instrument with lights and a camera attached is used to examine the inside of the nose and the areas of sinus drainage. The tube is smaller than a pencil and may be flexible or rigid, and is used in conjunction with a numbing agent. This procedure is used at our ear, nose, and throat clinic so we can look for structural abnormalities, swollen areas of the nasal passages and mucosal membranes, infected secretions, and to sample those secretions to determine the nature of infection.

Surgeries Include Tonsillectomy, Thyroid, Tympanoplasty, Stapedectomy, Ear Tubes, and More

Another common procedure performed at our ear, nose, and throat clinic is tonsillectomy, which is a surgery where the tonsils are removed due to recurring and severe tonsillitis, or complications or diseases of the tonsils.

Various ear surgeries, including tympanoplasty, stapedectomy, mastoidectomy, and ventilating tube management are also available at our ear, nose, and throat clinic. In tympanoplasty, a perforated eardrum is repaired with a graft in order to restore hearing and heal disease. Stapedectomy is used to treat progressive hearing loss and mastoidectomy to remove mastoid air cells in the skull that are infected due to an ear infection that has spread to the skull. Ear tubes are tiny cylindrical pieces that help ventilate the middle ear to prevent infection-causing fluids from building up behind the eardrum.

Besides these procedures, numerous other surgeries and treatments can be scheduled at the ear, nose, and throat clinic at Northwest Specialty Hospital. Contact us to learn more about how you can find relief for ear problems, sinus issues, and sleep problems today.

Common Procedures

Below is a list of some common Ear, Nose and Throat procedures (inpatient and outpatient) performed at Northwest Specialty Hospital.

• Nasal Endoscopy
• Tonsillectomy
• Ear surgery

Alex Caten, MD is an otolaryngologist at Northwest Ear, Nose and Throat in Post Falls, Idaho.

Otolaryngology is a medical specialty which is focused on the ears, nose, and throat. It is also called otolaryngology-head and neck surgery because specialists are trained in both medicine and surgery. An otolaryngologist is often called an ear, nose, and throat doctor, or an ENT for short.

Otolaryngologists complete up to 15 years of college and post-graduate training before practicing. This includes completing a four-year undergraduate degree, four years of medical school, five years of specialty training and a one-to-two-year fellowship for additional training in a sub-specialty.

Dr. Caten earned his undergraduate degree in degree in cell biology and neuroscience at home in Montana State and completed his medical doctorate at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. Drawn to the unique balance of surgical and clinical skills that specialists in ear, nose and throat diseases, Dr. Caten chose to spend the next five years completing his residency at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta Georgia. While at the Medical College of Georgia, Dr. Caten became a member of the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society and a recipient of a the top research award for his work on the use 3D printing for mandibular reconstruction.

Not everyone who practices otolaryngology is board certified. To legally practice medicine, a doctor is only required to be licensed by the state in which they practice. State medical licensure allows a physician to independently practice medicine but does not define one as a specialist to the public. Board certification adds a higher level of credentialing and validates expertise in a specific specialty or subspecialty based on training and assessment requirements. The examinations to attain initial board certification from the American Board of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, along with the renewal of certification at periodic intervals through the Continuing Certification program, ensure that its diplomates (board-certified physicians) meet or exceed the standards of the specialty and continue to do so throughout their careers. Dr. Caten is a board-certified diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery,

Born in Cody, Wyoming and raised in Billings, Montana, Dr. Caten has mountain living in his blood. Dr. Caten, his wife Scottie and their two young children now call Idaho home and are thrilled to be back in the Pacific Northwest.

Dr. Tacia is board certified in Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery by the American Osteopathic Board of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AOBOO-HNS) and is committed to providing compassionate, comprehensive medical care for disorders of the ear, nose, throat, head and neck.

Dr. Tacia was born and raised on Whidbey Island, just outside of Seattle in the scenic Pacific Northwest. As an outstanding scholar and athlete, she attended Central Washington University on an academic and softball scholarship where she graduated with honors. Dr. Tacia went on to earn her Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from Des Moines University and dual specialty training in both Otolaryngology head and neck surgery, as well as facial plastic surgery at the Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.