Dr. Robert Strominger, an Ear Nose and Throat specialist has recently joined Auburn Ear, Nose and Throat Services at 143 North St. in Auburn. He has a special interest in all voice and swallowing problems. Strominger can provide vocal analysis for patients who are experiencing voice and swallowing disorders.

He explains, “This can be a child who has speech problems from voice abuse, cleft palate or other congenital problems.” There are many adults with a change in voice quality due to overuse. This is common in teachers, attorneys, and other professionals who overuse their voices and have not had formal training. Performers or singers with voice problems present a unique set of voice problems. Quite often performers will have an audition scheduled while they are sick. The overuse of the voice can cause additional stress on the vocal cords which can be detrimental to a performer's career.

“By creating a team of otolaryngologist/laryngologist and a speech therapist, we are better able to treat patients,” he says. “My hope is that I will be able to bring this high level of care to the Auburn community.”

Strominger is Board Certified in Otolaryngology. He completed medical school at Albany Medical College, Albany; his internship at the Department of General Surgery at Washington School of Medicine; his residency at the Department of Otolaryngology #- Head and Neck Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine and his fellowship training at the National Institutes of Health - National Institute of Deafness and other Communications Disorders, Section of Voice and Speech Disorders. He is a visiting associate professor at Ithaca College's Department of Speech-Language Pathology. He is the director of the Ithaca College, Cayuga ENT Voice and Swallow Clinic and on the Board of Directors for the Tompkins County Medical Society and the Finger Lakes Management Association. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy.

In relation to swallowing, the leading cause of death following stroke is aspiration pneumonia. This is also the case for other progressive neurologic disorders. Traditionally, swallowing therapists have relied on an X-ray called a modified barium swallow or video esophogram to evaluate swallowing in patients. This is still a useful diagnostic tool but it does have limitations and exposes the patient to radiation. The procedure that has replaced the X-ray, or complements it when appropriate, is Functional Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES). This is when a swallowing evaluation is performed while a thin flexible nasolaryngoscope is threaded through the nose and dangled in the throat. The patient swallows different consistencies and the swallowing is watched by the otolaryngologist and the swallowing therapist. The benefits are that there is a more natural swallow than the barium swallow, there is no radiation and different compensatory strategies can be evaluated and taught during the evaluation.

For those patients who require surgical therapy, Auburn Memorial Hospital will soon be obtaining state-of-the-art microlaryngeal phonosurgical instruments. This will allow patients to be treated surgically for their voice problems at AMH. Surgical options will include treatment of vocal cord paralysis, vocal cord polyps and nodules when they do not respond to therapy alone.

For more information, contact Strominger at Auburn Ear, Nose & Throat Services at 255-3300.

Beverly Miller is the director of community relations and the Hospital Foundation at Auburn Memorial Hospital