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LAPLACE — Visiting an ENT can be helpful for individuals experiencing hearing problems, allergies, dizziness, sinus infections, snoring or any other issues related to the ear, nose or throat.

For several years, Dr. Michael Hickham has seen an increasing number of patients from the LaPlace area drive to ENT Specialists of Metairie for specialty care. Services will now more accessible to patients in the River Parishes with the opening of a new office location in LaPlace.

Hickham ENT opened this week at 501 Rue De Sante Suite 3 in LaPlace. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and no referrals are necessary.

As the LaPlace office becomes established in the community, it will offer the same services as the Metairie location on Houma Boulevard.

Ear services include treatments of ear infections with ear tubes, as well as earwax removal. Meanwhile, nose services include balloon sinuplasty to treat chronic sinus infections and nosebleed treatment. Throat services include treatment of tonsil infections and swallowing disorders.

Dr. Hickham said the LaPlace office will eventually offer allergy services, including treatment of allergy symptoms and food allergy testing. Hickham ENT will also partner with a local provider to offer hearing services, including diagnosis and management of tinnitus as well as fitting and programming of hearing aids, to LaPlace and surrounding communities.

According to Dr. Hickham, ENT encompasses all medical and surgical issues of the head and neck area but especially the sinus aspects, allergies and sleep medicine. Dr. Hickham also does a lot of facial reconstruction dealing with skin cancer removal. He has operated his practice for 22 years. Prior to opening ENT Specialists of Metairie, Dr. Hickham attended medical school at Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans, and completed his residency at Tulane University. He is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology, the American Board of Allergy and Immunology and Diplomat of the American Board of Sleep Medicine.

Dr. Hickham will divide time between the Metairie and LaPlace locations, depending on the need. Chet Myer, physician assistant and a specialist in emergency medicine and otolaryngology, will be working at the LaPlace office full-time.

Dr. Hickham said he has always loved the atmosphere of smaller towns, and he looks forward to bringing quality ENT services to the River Region.

“We’ve seen an increase in patients from the LaPlace area. It’s a neat community, and it seems very friendly,” Dr. Hickham said.

Myer said he is excited to be at the new office full-time.

“It’s a good drive to come out to Metairie, and we are one of the closest ENTs around. We’ll provide care for that population, and even the surrounding areas like Gramercy to make it more accessible for them,” he said.

As a physician assistant, Myer’s training touched on all different fields of medicine. While going through different rotations, he realized there was a lot of overlap between ear, nose and throat treatment and other subsets of medicine.

“It wasn’t until I shadowed Dr. Hickham that I really learned the life of an ENT,” Myer said. “I started to became more fascinated with the field. I was originally going to do neurology, but another thing about ENT is that it really goes into neurology, immunology and different aspects of the medical field. You get a little bit of everything. It drew me in.”

Myer obtained his bachelor of science in biology at Louisiana State University at Alexandria and went on to become a master of physicianassistant studies at the Louisiana State University Health and Sciences Center.

Physician Assistant Blake Lavespere will continue services at the Metairie Office. Lavespere specializes in pediatric & adult otolaryngology, urgent care, intensive care, neurology, hearing & balance testing and hearing aids. He attended undergraduate school at Louisiana College and also obtained his master’s of physician assistant studies at Louisiana State University Health and Sciences Center.

Lavespere said both the Metairie and LaPlace office locations will uphold a standard of excellence. He added that Dr. Hickham’s practice is very patient-oriented.

“It’s a private practice setting with continuity of care. I know my boss; I see how he treats patients and how he runs his clinic,” Lavespere said. “He really accommodates the patients.”

The new site at 501 Rue De Sante Suite 3 will be a temporary location until a permanent office is renovated just across the street in LaPlace.

To make an appointment with Hickham ENT, call 985-359-4600.