Welcome to your monthly dose of health and wellness information. Each month, we will dive into practical tips, interview physician leaders and share the latest developments in different fields of medicine.

Mass General Brigham physicians have had the privilege of caring for thousands of Bermudian patients in Boston over the years, spanning a wide variety of conditions and complexities.

For this feature, Daniel Lee, MD, paediatric and adult ear and skull base surgeon at Mass General Brigham, discusses the conditions he treats and our groundbreaking research to treat hearing loss in children.

What are the most common conditions you treat among international patients?

Our team treats patients with advanced hearing loss who may benefit from auditory implants and auditory brainstem implants. I also see patients with chronic ear infections and balance disorders, acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannomas) and superior canal dehiscence syndrome, a rare but impactful condition that can affect hearing and balance.

What complex ENT conditions do you treat, and how?

Some of the most challenging cases involve patients with neurofibromatosis type 2, a rare genetic disorder that causes vestibular schwannomas. These tumours may appear on one or both sides of the head, and affect the nerves that control hearing and balance. In such cases, we often work closely with other specialists across Mass General Brigham to offer a combination of chemotherapy, tumour removal and auditory brainstem implant surgery when hearing is lost, and other personalised interventions.

Why do Bermudian patients choose Mass General Brigham for ear, nose and throat care?

We deliver world-class care through a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach, leveraging the collective knowledge of leading hospitals and researchers to provide truly comprehensive, integrated care. We are also constantly researching to find new breakthroughs. For example, right now we are leading paediatric, gene-therapy clinical trials for inner-ear regeneration, which would be an entirely new way to treat hearing loss.

Dr Lee will be on island to share best practices and latest research for the prevention and treatment of common hearing concerns seen in children, adolescents, adults and older adults, in a Continuing Medical Education event in Bermuda on October 22.

If you are a healthcare professional in Bermuda and would like to learn more about the event, and how to register, visit the event website at i.MassGeneralBrigham.org/j11eg.

If you would like to request an appointment or learn more about care at Mass General Brigham, contact our international patient services team at patientcare@mgb.org or visit MassGeneralBrigham.org/Bermuda. If part of your care planning includes insurance, we recommend speaking with your insurance company prior to requesting an appointment.