Hometown News and Views

By Phyllis J. Neuberger
PELICAN STAFF
Dr. George Georgakakis feels home grown. He says, “I have lived in Fort Lauderdale since I was 18 months old.  I graduated from Northeast High School, got all of my degrees from the University of Miami and only left to do my surgical internship and Otolaryngology residency at the University of Maryland.” He is certified by and is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, and is affiliated with Holy Cross and Imperial Point Hospitals.  His Fort Lauderdale office Suite 302 is at 4801 N. Federal Highway.
In practice for 11 years, Dr. George relates easily to patients. He’s unhurried and makes time to listen to his patient’s description of the problem.  “The patient’s history is very important,” he says. “Often there are multiple problems which I want to hear about before I begin an actual examination.”
He admits, “The allure of this specialty for me was treating all age patients in the areas of ears, nose and throat.  The systems are closely connected and often affect each other. We see everything including chronic sinus disease, hoarse voice, difficulty in swallowing, sensation of a lump in the throat, vertigo, tinnitus and hearing loss.”
One of his young patients, two-year-old Jacob Mincey, seemed to have many ear problems. His mother, Homanda Mincey, says, “Dr. Georgakakis put Jacob at ease and has been very helpful with Jacob’s earaches. Jacob doesn’t put up a fuss about going to the doctor like most little kids would.”
His practice includes Doctor of Audiology, Paula Liebeskind who has 25 years of experience in diagnosing hearing loss, and when needed, assists clients in determining if a hearing aid is needed and what type would be of value.  Dr. George says, “It’s important to be realistic about hearing aids. They improve hearing, but will not give a person the natural hearing experienced as a child. Manufacturers of aids have made great strides in the help they deliver.  If a patient is on the fence about wearing one, I often recommend waiting a year or two and then repeating the test. Removing ear wax, a simple and easy procedure done in the office, is often an easy solution to sudden hearing loss. ”
Asked how he determines what the ailment might be, the doctor says he does an initial basic exam.  For a more informed diagnosis, he says, “We often use a Laryngoscope which is a flexible telescope that allows us to do a painless exam of the nose and throat.”
He went on to say, “We have a very effective new tool for treating chronic sinus disease. The tool, balloon sinuplasty, permits us to dilate the sinus allowing for better drainage and eliminating problems.  Because this is a new procedure we do it in the hospital as an outpatient treatment.  Most patients experience great relief from their problems.”
He describes another useful tool used in his practice. “Using a video recorder we now can provide patients the ability to see their own vocal cords in action. This helps them make a treatment decision with more confidence.  Because seeing is believing, this tool is a welcome one.”
Discussing allergies, he says, “We do  RAST testing which is a blood test that determines the presence of allergy. Once discovered, the problems can be treated with avoidance or medical management. If necessary, there are always allergy tests.”
“Tinnitus is another common problem. We do ear cleaning, hearing tests and if we can find no explanation, we will discuss coping measures. We do what we call tinnitus retraining therapy or TRT.
Vertigo is a frequent complaint.  Benign positional vertigo can be relieved through Epley Maneuvering which we can do in the office.  If this still doesn’t help, we can do a videonystatogram which allows us to assess the inner ear function.”
See an ENT doctor for these symptoms:
.  Voice hoarseness for more than two weeks
.  Difficulty swallowing or the sensation of a lump in the throat
. Have ears checked for wax if having a sudden loss of hearing.
.  Investigate chronic sinus drip or headaches.
.  Nasal congestion might be caused by allergies.
Appointments are available Mon.-Thurs. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 9 to 4:30 on Fri.
Call 954-493-8773.