Prof. Najeh Mhadhebi Beltaief is a Professor of Otolaryngology associated with La Rabta Hospital in Tunis, Tunisia. A Tunisian Ministry of Health appointment dated September 2023 named her head of the Otolaryngology Department at La Rabta Hospital.

Otolaryngology, commonly called ENT, covers conditions affecting the ear, nose, throat, and related head and neck structures. The specialty includes both medical and surgical management and can involve patients ranging from children to adults.

Otolaryngology and ENT Care

ENT specialists evaluate a wide range of conditions involving hearing, balance, nasal breathing, sinus disease, voice, swallowing, throat disorders, and head and neck structures.

Patients may be assessed using clinical examination, endoscopy, hearing tests, imaging, laboratory investigations, or other specialist diagnostic methods depending on symptoms.

As head of the Otolaryngology Department at La Rabta, Prof. Mhadhebi Beltaief holds a senior role within the hospital's ENT service.

Pediatric ENT

Pediatric ENT is an important component of otolaryngology because ear, nose, and throat disorders can affect hearing, speech, breathing, sleep, feeding, and childhood development.

Children may require specialist assessment for recurrent ear infections, hearing problems, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, nasal obstruction, congenital conditions, airway disorders, or other ENT problems.

A pediatric-focused ENT assessment considers the child's age, developmental stage, symptoms, hearing status, and overall medical history.

Pediatric Audiology and Hearing

Hearing assessment is particularly important during childhood because untreated hearing impairment can affect speech, language, education, and social development.

Audiological evaluation may include age-appropriate hearing tests and assessment of middle-ear function. When a hearing disorder is identified, treatment may involve medical or surgical management, hearing rehabilitation, or referral to audiology and speech-language professionals.

ENT and audiology services frequently work together when evaluating children with hearing concerns.

Head and Neck Medicine

The head and neck region contains multiple interconnected structures involved in breathing, swallowing, hearing, speech, smell, and other functions. ENT specialists therefore work across several anatomical areas.

Head and neck assessment may involve evaluation of persistent throat symptoms, neck masses, voice changes, swallowing problems, nasal obstruction, ear symptoms, or other conditions requiring specialist investigation.

Depending on the diagnosis, patients may be referred for imaging, endoscopy, biopsy, surgery, or multidisciplinary management.

Surgical and Medical ENT Care

Otolaryngology combines medical and surgical treatment. Some conditions can be managed through medication, observation, rehabilitation, or lifestyle measures, while others may require an operation.

The choice of treatment depends on the underlying diagnosis, severity, age, medical history, previous treatment, and expected functional outcome.

As a university hospital department head, Prof. Mhadhebi Beltaief works within an academic clinical environment that combines patient care with specialist training and hospital-based medical services.

International Patients

Patients travelling to Tunisia for ENT evaluation should bring previous hearing tests, imaging reports, endoscopy reports, operative notes, medication information, and other relevant medical records.

For pediatric patients, parents or guardians should also provide information about developmental milestones, school-related hearing concerns, recurrent infections, previous treatments, and relevant family history.

A specialist consultation can determine whether additional diagnostic testing or treatment is appropriate.

Prof. Najeh Mhadhebi Beltaief's appointment as head of the Otolaryngology Department at La Rabta Hospital provides documented evidence of her senior ENT role within the Tunisian public university-hospital system.