Hearing and Balance Center/Audiology

Comprehensive patient care

Our team provides:

• Auditory communication, tinnitus and balance assessment
• A hearing restoration program with advanced rehabilitative methods, including cochlear implantation, digital and implantable hearing aids and bone conduction implants
• Evaluation and treatment of chronic ear diseases, such as otitis media, perforations of the eardrum, cholesteatoma and conductive hearing loss
• Management of tinnitus and loudness sensitivity
• Associated basic science and applied research focusing on new techniques for hearing restoration and eradication of dizziness/imbalance
• A comprehensive adult and pediatric family-centered cochlear implant program where patients receive the highest quality care and have access to the latest technology and research
• Newborn and pediatric hearing testing and hearing aids provided by audiologists with extensive pediatric experience
• Diagnosis and management of skull base disorders, such as vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma), cerebrospinal fluid leaks, encephalocele, superior semicircular canal dehiscence and facial nerve disorders
• Surgical correction of otosclerosis with stapedectomy

Learn more about the patient services we offer.

Renowned research

Our center has received national and international recognition for our accomplishments in the field of early identification and remediation of hearing loss in newborns. We have also been nationally recognized for our evaluation and management of hearing loss, dizziness and balance disorders.

We also participate as an FDA investigational site for a variety of medical and surgical protocols dealing with hearing loss and balance disorders. Our research has resulted in new laws for research.

Outstanding education

Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery residents and medical students train with our physicians on their rotations. Medical students learn to diagnose and treat multiple forms of middle ear infections and observe tympanostomy tube placements in surgery. We also offer continuing medical education to practicing physicians and an annual temporal bone dissection course. The Sertoma Club of Norfolk Temporal Bone Laboratory enables our team to enhance its instruction in the discipline of ear surgery by providing simulated instruction in dissecting the ear and its surrounding structures.