INTRODUCING ASSOC. PROF. ENG H OOI
Associate Professor Eng H. Ooi is a specialist Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgeon with a private practice at Flinders Private Hospital & Calvary Adelaide Hospital and a public appointment at Flinders Medical Centre. Associate Professor Eng Ooi sees general paediatric and adult patients including tonsillitis, sinusitis, snoring, voice, airway, head and neck cancers.
He chairs the weekly Flinders Head and Neck Cancer Multi-Disciplinary Meetings, is a member of the altered airway team at Flinders and is Head of the Flinders Medical Centre ENT Surgery Department leading a team of 8 surgeons, an advanced rhinology fellow, 2 registrars, research registrars. residents, an intern, medical scientist and a Head and Neck Nurse Practitioner.
Background
Associate Professor Eng Ooi graduated from the University of Adelaide Medical School. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (F.R.A.C.S.) in Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgery (ENT). He did his training in Adelaide, South Australia and Darwin, Northern Territory. He is a qualified surgeon scientist having completed a PhD thesis researching the innate immunity changes in chronic rhinosinusitis.
He then undertook further subspecialisation fellowship training with the University of Toronto in Rhinology, Endoscopic Skull Base, Head and Neck Surgery. This has allowed A/Professor Eng Ooi to bring back ENT surgical skills, knowledge and research experience from Toronto to Adelaide for the benefit of his patients.
A/Professor Ooi has recently undertaken additional training in Trans-Oral Robotic Surgery (TORS) to provide additional treatment options for patients with head and neck throat cancer at Flinders Private Hospital
Current positions
Research achievements
Special Interests: Chronic sinusitis, Endoscopic skull base surgery (pituitary and other brain tumours), Head & Neck cancers, Trans-Oral Robotic Surgery (TORS), Parotid, Submandibular, and Thyroid lumps, Coblation tonsil surgery.
Rhinology (sinus surgery) research
Failure of endoscopic sinus surgery to improve patients symptoms can be due to adhesions and lateralisation of the middle turbinate. Adhesions prevent sinus drainage and nasal irrigations or steroid sprays to enter the sinuses. Associate Professor Eng Ooi uses a silastic sinus stent in some patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery to prevent adhesions and reduce middle turbinate lateralisation and reduced revision surgery rates. He demonstrated its effectiveness in a randomised controlled trial (level 1 evidence based medicine) in ENT patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) at Flinders Medical Centre (FMC)
Head and Neck Cancer Research
Tonsil (oropharyngeal) cancer is becoming the most common type of cancer in the head and neck region. It is more common in males and is associated with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Smoking continues to be a risk factor for developing head and neck cancer but HPV is emerging as a strong risk factor especially with tonsil cancer. Tonsil, Head and Neck cancer is treatable if detected early. Associate Professor Eng Ooi is a leading member of the Flinders Multi-disciplinary Head and Neck Cancer team. He maintains an active up to date involvement with the latest treatment options and is leading several research projects to improve care for head and neck cancer patients. This include developing blood and breath tests to detect tonsil cancer (currently none exist) and improving swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) in patients.
Tonsil research
Associate Professor Eng Ooi is leading research into new techniques BiZact tonsillectomy to minimise blood loss, improve recovery and patients quality of life. He regularly conducts quality audit reviews to ensure his techniques are improving patient outcomes with low rates of complication.