Head & Neck Conditions
Houston Methodist’s head and neck specialists deliver comprehensive care for salivary gland disorders, thyroid and parathyroid diseases, sleep conditions and tumors of the head and neck, including skin cancers. Our specialists are committed to providing advanced, individualized care tailored to each patient’s specific needs.
Whenever possible, our experts use minimally invasive procedures and cutting-edge technology. For example, we are treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) using hypoglossal nerve stimulation.
Head & Neck Conditions We Treat
Collaborating closely with radiation and medical oncologists, otolaryngologists, neurologists and sleep specialists, we offer patients the entire spectrum of treatment options for head and neck conditions — addressing each patient’s underlying condition while maximizing function and quality of life.
Our specialists are supported by state-of-the-art facilities and use the most advanced medical and surgical options to treat the following head and neck conditions:
- Endocrine cancers, including papillary thyroid carcinoma, follicular carcinoma and medullary carcinoma
- Head and neck cancers, including cancers of the oral cavity (tongues, lips and cheeks), oropharynx (tonsils and base of the tongue), larynx (voice box and throat), and nasopharynx (nasal cavity and skull base)
- Neck masses
- Parathyroid conditions
- Salivary cancers
- Salivary conditions, including salivary gland infections, masses and stones
- Skin cancers of the head, scalp and neck, including melanomas and non-melanomas
- Sleep apnea, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
- Snoring
- Radiofrequency ablation of thyroid nodules
- Thyroid nodules
- Voice box tumors
- Vocal cord lesions
Head & Neck Treatment Options
Our specialists offer a range of nonsurgical and surgical treatments for head and neck conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We work with you to understand your symptoms, anatomy, overall health and goals, and then develop an individualized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.
Sleep Medicine Devices for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Sleep medicine devices offer many patients with OSA — and their partners — more restful, restorative sleep. A registered sleep technician will help you select the proper device and educate you on maintenance and adherence. Sleep medicine device options include:
- Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine – Some patients benefit from using a CPAP machine to sleep. You wear a mask that is connected to a small, quiet, portable device that flows a steady stream of air through your nose and throat. The air flow helps you maintain healthy breathing as you sleep.
- Dental devices – For some patients, an oral insert can help hold your jaw forward, opening the airway during sleep.
Sleep Surgery & Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
If your OSA is due to a structural deformity in the head, neck, facial bones, tongue, tonsils or adenoids, surgery might help improve your breathing. Our highly skilled surgeons can reduce or remove muscle or tissue to alleviate OSA symptoms in some patients.
As an alternative to CPAP and traditional sleep surgery, our experts offer hypoglossal nerve stimulator surgery — during which the surgeon implants a device that detects your breathing and stimulates your hypoglossal nerve to help keep your airway open while you sleep. You turn on the implant before going to bed and shut it off when you wake up.
The eligibility criteria for hypoglossal nerve stimulator surgery include:
- Having sleep apnea that is moderate to severe (not mild)
- Obstruction that occurs at the palate and/or base of the tongue
- Having a BMI less than 35
Not all patients are eligible for OSA surgery — talk with your sleep medicine specialist or otolaryngologist (ENT doctor) about the best option for your individual needs.