Many severe ear problems, such as chronic otitis and otosclerosis, can lead to hearing loss or even complete deafness.

If you suffer from a serious ear problem and need a consultation with a specialist, call (08) 54 11 33 41, to make an appointment with Dr. Bernard Colin, PhD, a leading French Ear-Nose-Throat specialist. From 2^nd to 13th November, 2015, Dr. Colin will be offering consultations and treatments at FV Hospital’s Otolaryngology Department.

Dr. Bernard has 35 years of experience in his field and was formerly head of the Otolaryngology Department at St. Luc Hospital, Lyon, France. His areas of expertise include surgical treatment for deafness, chronic otitis, punctured eardrums and otosclerosis and reconstruction of the ossicular chain.

Every year since 2003, Dr. Bernard has worked in Vietnam for two weeks at FV Hospital’s Otolaryngology Department to offer treatment for ear problems with a focus on more complicated cases.

Regarding the situation of patients with ear problems in Vietnam, Dr. Bernard says that in cases of ear problems such as chronic otitis, punctured eardrum and ossicular chain injury, underlying risks can lead to hearing loss and even deafness. If the problem is detected early and treated quickly, the rate of hearing improvement can be up to 90 per cent. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that patients should consult a doctor immediately when they notice symptoms of hearing loss in one ear when they are in the middle of a crowd or when surrounded by noise.

In addition to these problems, otosclerosis, which is a genetic ear problem, can also be successfully treated with surgery. This problem is caused by stiffness of the ossicular chain, mainly in the stapes. Depending on the level of stiffness, the sound transmission to the eardrum will decline to a varying degree.

Otosclerosis is common in women and worsens during pregnancy and lactation. This problem progresses very slowly, with common symptoms of tinnitus and hearing loss beginning in one ear and gradually spreading to both ears. The most effective treatment at this time is to perform surgery to replace the stapes.

This is a technique that Dr. Bernard has performed with huge success at FV Hospital and all of his patients have regained the ability to hear.