Greetings
Otolaryngology is a group of specialists who treat functions that are important for humans to live as human beings in society. While being experts in the sensory organs, such as hearing, smell, taste, and balance, otolaryngology also provides medical treatment for functions such as eating and swallowing, speech, and breathing, as well as the organs necessary for these functions, namely the entire head and neck, including the ears, nose, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, and neck, excluding the brain, spinal cord, and eyes above the neck. We pride ourselves on being specialists who maximize the preservation and improvement of essential senses and functions necessary for daily living, thereby maintaining and improving our patients' quality of life (QOL).
Chief of the Department Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Surgery
Koichiro Wasano
Treatment details
The Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery treats a very wide range of diseases, including ear disorders such as otitis media, sensorineural hearing loss, facial nerve paralysis, and dizziness; nasal and sinus disorders such as sinusitis and allergic rhinitis; pharyngeal disorders such as tonsils; laryngeal disorders such as vocal cord polyps and vocal cord nodules; neck disorders such as lymphadenitis and thyroid tumors; salivary gland disorders; and malignant tumors of the head and neck such as oral cancer, laryngeal cancer, and pharyngeal cancer. Outpatient and inpatient care is provided by 14 staff members and 6 clinical assistants. The annual number of outpatients is approximately 36,651, of which approximately 3,684 are first-time patients. We also offer many specialized clinics, including those for sinuses, nasal allergies, head and neck tumors, otitis media, facial nerve disorders, hearing loss/hearing aids, dizziness, tinnitus, tonsils, pediatric hearing loss, and swallowing disorders. The total number of inpatients annually is 958.
Main target diseases
Nose/sinus disease
For allergic rhinitis, in addition to conventional drug therapy, we actively provide allergen immunotherapy and biological agents for patients with refractory cases. We also perform outpatient laser ablation and inpatient surgical treatments such as septoplasty, inferior turbinate surgery, and posterior nasal nerve transection.
For chronic sinusitis, we primarily perform endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). ESS is performed with a short hospital stay of 5 days using clinical pathways and a short-term surgical hospitalization center, and in some cases, it can be done on an outpatient basis. Especially for eosinophilic sinusitis, which is designated as an intractable disease, we offer treatment with biological agents in addition to surgery, and we also conduct various clinical trials.
Otitis media and hearing loss
For tympanic membrane perforation, we perform outpatient tympanic membrane perforation closure using Ritimpa.
For otitis media such as chronic otitis media and cholesteatoma, we perform tympanoplasty or tympanoplasty with a 5-7 day hospital stay. Depending on the case, we also perform endoscopic ear surgery (TEES).
For hearing loss, our hearing aid clinic provides services such as introducing hearing aids, selecting appropriate hearing aids, and fitting them properly.
Furthermore, for those who cannot achieve sufficient hearing with hearing aids, we offer cochlear implant surgery and middle ear implant surgery.
Facial nerve disorders
We treat facial nerve paralysis of unknown cause (Bell's palsy), Ramsay Hunt syndrome caused by herpes zoster virus infection, and traumatic paralysis. For mild cases, we administer oral steroids, while for severe cases, we provide intravenous steroid and antiviral medications during hospitalization. For severe cases, we also perform facial nerve decompression surgery. For sequelae, we offer rehabilitation therapy using Botox injections in cooperation with our hospital's rehabilitation department.
Dizziness disorders
We use precise balance function tests such as ENG, VEMP, and posturography to perform differential diagnoses of dizziness disorders.
We also treat chronic and refractory cases of vestibular migraine, persistent postural vertigo (PPPD), and refractory BPPV.
Our treatment focuses on drug therapy, emphasizing explanations of the disease and lifestyle guidance, and we provide care that also considers preventing recurrence.
Recent trends include an increase in dizziness in children, migraine-related dizziness, and chronic dizziness in the elderly.
While we do not offer in-hospital rehabilitation, we have posted a video on YouTube of "dizziness exercises" that you can practice at home.
▶ 自宅でできる「めまい体操」解説動画はこちら
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LIfDVEir-k
Head and neck malignant tumors
For head and neck tumors (primarily head and neck cancers), we perform surgical treatment, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, either individually or in combination, taking into consideration the extent and stage of the lesion, as well as the patient's age, physical condition, and post-treatment function. We also provide multidisciplinary treatment, primarily surgical, for thyroid diseases, including both benign and malignant conditions. Every week, we hold a joint head and neck tumor conference with Department of Radiation Therapy Oncology and the Department of Medical Oncology to discuss the most appropriate treatment method for each patient, whether inpatient or outpatient. In collaboration with oncologists specializing in chemotherapy, we also provide molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy on an outpatient and inpatient basis. We also perform reconstructive surgery for advanced cancers, robot-assisted surgery and endoscopic surgery for early-stage cancers, Aluminox treatment (photoimmunotherapy) for head and neck cancers, and endoscopic thyroid surgery for thyroid tumors.
Main medical achievements
2025年度
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Tympanoplasty 77 cases
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Tympanoplasty 8 cases
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Facial nerve decompression: 6 cases
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23 cases of cochlear implant surgery
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Stapes surgery 8 cases
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Acoustic neuroma: 0 cases
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Inner ear window closure surgery: 1 case
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153 endoscopic sinus surgeries
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Nasal septum correction surgery 69 cases
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Inferior nasal turbinate surgery 121 cases
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Nasal sinus tumor removal: 15 cases
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Transnasal pterygoid canal nerve transection: 53 cases
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Nasal mucosal cauterization: 14 cases
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142 tonsillectomies performed.
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30 surgeries for malignant pharyngeal tumors
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11 surgeries for malignant oral tumors
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19 surgeries for malignant laryngeal tumors
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One case of malignant tumor surgery of the nose and paranasal sinuses.
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Oral and hypopharyngeal transoral resection: 46 cases
(Including 10 robot-assisted surgeries for malignant tumors of the pharynx and larynx) -
118 cases of neck dissection.
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Submandibular gland tumor excision: 9 cases
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54 parotid gland tumor removal surgeries
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84 thyroid tumor resection surgeries
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Lymph node biopsies: 48 cases
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Laryngeal microsurgery 38 cases
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Swallowing improvement/accidental swallow prevention technique 5 cases
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Reconstructive surgery 7 cases
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72 tracheostomy procedures
Doctor List
Department Chief: Koichiro Wasano
Outpatient: 0463 (93) 1121 extension 6391
Professor Koichiro Wasano
| Specialization | Otology |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Specialist of the Japan Society of Otorhinolaryngology / Specialist of the Japan Society for Tracheoesophageal Science / Clinical Geneticist / Head and Neck Cancer Specialist / Certified Oncologist / Dizziness Consultant of the Japan Society for Equilibrium Research |
| Specialized Areas | Middle ear surgery, cochlear implants, hearing loss (including congenital hearing loss and age-related hearing loss), facial nerve |
| Outpatient medical day | Wednesday and Thursday |
Professor Kenji Okami
| Specialization | head and neck surgery |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Specialist of the Japan Otolaryngological Society / Specialist of the Japan Tracheoesophageal Society / Japan Certified Cancer Therapist / Head and Neck Cancer Specialist |
| Specialized Areas | Multidisciplinary treatment and minimally invasive surgery for head and neck cancer |
| Outpatient medical day | Monday |
Professor Fumiyuki Goto
| Specialization | balance neurology, rhinology |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Specialist of the Japan Society of Otolaryngology / Dizziness Consultant of the Japan Society for Equilibrium Research |
| Specialized Areas | Treatment for dizziness |
| Outpatient medical day | Monday, Thursday, Friday |
Associate Professor Shoji Kaneda
| Specialization | Rhinology |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Specialist of the Japan Otolaryngological Society |
| Specialized Areas | nasal sinus surgery |
| Outpatient medical day | Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday (5th) |
Lecturer: Hiroshi Hyakusoku
| Specialization | Otology, balance neurology |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Specialist of the Japan Society of Otolaryngology / Dizziness Consultant of the Japan Society for Equilibrium Research / Certified Otologist of the Japan Otological Society / Certified Oncologist of the Japan Society for Cancer Therapy |
| Specialized Areas | Ear surgery, hearing loss |
| Outpatient medical day | Tuesday and Friday |
Lecturer: Kazufumi Obata
| Specialization | head and neck surgery |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Japan Otolaryngological Society Specialist / Endocrine Surgery Specialist / Japan Certified Cancer Therapist / Head and Neck Cancer Specialist |
| Specialized Areas | head and neck cancer surgery |
| Outpatient medical day | Mondays and Thursdays |
Assistant Professor Takanobu Teramura
| Specialization | General Otology |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Specialist of the Japan Otolaryngological Society |
| Specialized Areas | Tonsillitis (sleep apnea syndrome, tonsillar focal infection), childhood hearing loss, hearing aids |
| Outpatient medical day | Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (3rd Saturday) |
Assistant Professor Mayu Yamauchi
| Specialization | head and neck surgery |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Board Certified Otolaryngologist (Japan Society of Otorhinolaryngology) / Certified Oncologist (Japan Society of Cancer Therapy) / Head and Neck Cancer Specialist |
| Specialized Areas | head and neck cancer surgery |
| Outpatient medical day | Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (1st) |
Assistant Professor Aritomo Yamazaki
| Specialization | General ENT |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Specialist of the Japan Otolaryngological Society |
| Outpatient medical day | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (3rd Saturday) |
Assistant Professor Takane Watanabe
| Specialization | head and neck surgery |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Specialist of the Japan Otolaryngological Society / Certified Japanese Cancer Therapist |
| Specialized Areas | head and neck cancer surgery |
| Outpatient medical day | Wednesday and Thursday |
Assistant Professor Toshihide Inagi
| Specialization | General ENT |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Specialist of the Japan Otolaryngological Society |
| Outpatient medical day | Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday (1st) |
Assistant Professor Yoshiyuki Ota
| Specialization | General ENT |
|---|---|
| Outpatient medical day | Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays (3rd and 5th) |
Ai Yamamoto, Assistant Professor
| Specialization | General ENT |
|---|---|
| Outpatient medical day | Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday (1st and 5th) |