A Lanarkshire surgeon is pioneering new techniques in ear surgery.

Mr Arun Iyer, a consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at Monklands Hospital, introduced the use of endoscopic ear surgery in Scotland and is one of only two surgeons in the UK to use this technique and the only one in Scotland.

Arun said: “I was so impressed by the procedure that I decided to start a cadaveric course with the help of The Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow.

“The first course in October 2014 was a huge success and we had renowned international faculty and delegates from as far as Israel.

Traditionally ear surgery was carried out with a skin incision either in the front or the back of the ear. But this approach to surgery of drilling the bone around the ear, still left parts of the middle ear inaccessible. Recovery would be slow, leading to post-operative pain for the patient who would be left with a scar.

By contrast, the endoscopic ear surgery that Mr Iyer uses allows him to see where they are operating by inserting an endoscope into the ear canal.

Arun said: “There are lots of benefits to this technique, it improves the experience for the patient as they have less discomfort and they recover a lot quicker. It is particularly useful for treating children as it can be done with very minimal pain and without the need for admission.

“It also benefits the hospital as it takes less theatre time to undertake this procedure.”

Mr Iyer has now begun to teach other surgeons on how to perform this surgery.