Company Background
Summary
Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, Newport-Mesa Audiology, Balance and Ear Institute (the Institute) is one of the country’s largest practices
specializing in the research, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of dizziness, vertigo, balance disorders, tinnitus and hearing loss. The Institute
has a second office located in Ladera Ranch, California. The Institute was established in 1977 by Dr. Howard T. Mango, who is nationally renowned for his
ongoing work and research on hearing and balance disorders, establishing him as a leader in vestibular evaluation and rehabilitation techniques. Dr. Mango
founded the Institute to address the need for better diagnosis and treatment of acute, undiagnosed or unexplained vertigo, dizziness and balance complaints,
and hearing loss.
Patient Services
The Institute is leading the country in research, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with dizziness and balance disorders. A team of doctors
of audiology works with state-of-the-art technology in the areas of vestibular diagnosis and balance rehabilitation for pediatric through geriatric patients.
Patients with vertigo and balance deficiencies can be diagnosed and treated in the most cost-efficient manner possible, eliminating a time consuming, expensive
and frustrating course of care experienced by many balance impaired patients. The team also works closely with neurologists, otolaryngologists, internal medicine
and family practice physicians in order to restore balance in patients’ lives. The Institute is the only facility of its kind to offer this unique combination of
diagnostic and therapeutic resources. This fact, along with our audiologists’ ongoing training and specialized expertise, distinguish the Institute from virtually
all other institutions.
To achieve a true differential diagnosis and recommend the most clinically appropriate treatment, the Institute employs proven methodologies and protocols that
combine to provide medicine’s most comprehensive evaluation and treatment. To our knowledge, the Institute is the only facility capable of isolating and testing
all ten organs of the inner ear. At the Institute, isolating and evaluating the vestibular system includes some or all of the following tests:
- Comprehensive Diagnostic Audiological Evaluation: Includes video otoscopy, tympanometry, acoustic reflexes with ipsilateral and contralateral presentation,
otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), pure tone audiometry, speech recognition thresholds, and word recognition thresholds.
- Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (VEMP): When sound stimulates the saccule, a response travels through the inferior vestibular nerve to the vestibular
nucleus in the brainstem. Neural impulses are then relayed through the vestibulospinal tract to the neck muscles. This test provides critical information regarding
the integrity of the saccule and inferior vestibular nerve.
- Vestibular Autorotation Testing (VAT): Provides information about the high frequency horizontal and vertical vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR); the primary function
of the VOR is to stabilize the eyes to allow clear vision during motion, including normal daily life activities such as walking, bending and turning.
- Computerized Dynamic Visual Acuity Test (CDVAT): Provides additional data regarding the VOR function in the horizontal and vertical planes.
- Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP): A unique assessment technique used to objectively quantify and differentiate the wide variety of possible sensory, motor,
and central adaptive impairments of balance control. CDP can identify and distinguish functional impairments associated with certain pathological processes.
- Videonystagmography (VNG): The VNG is a three-part evaluation that assesses the inner ear and central functions of the motor system. First is the oculomotor exam
which assesses the patient’s eye movements as they follow a moving target. The second part tests patients’ response to various head positions. Last is the caloric test,
which independently evaluates (in both ears) the horizontal semicircular canals and parts of the vestibular nerves of each.
- Rotational Chair Examination (RC): The advanced Neuro Kinetics rotational chair is the gold standard for quantifying bilateral vestibular system weakness and
independent utricle function. It allows thorough assessment of vestibular compensation, and is used to identify central vestibular system disorders in the presence of
a normal caloric testing. It is also the preferred method of pediatric vestibular testing.
- Cochlear Hydrops Analysis Masking Procedure (CHAMP): A modification of the standard auditory brainstem response (ABR) test, CHAMP is used to identify cochlear hydrops
or Meniere’s disease. The standard ABR is measured with a click stimulus that activates the entire cochlea. With the CHAMP, the click stimulus is mixed with increasing
amounts of high-pass masking noise. Resulting waveforms provide audiologists with detailed information on basilar membrane response, aiding in accurate differential diagnosis.
In addition to being one of the nation’s leading dizziness and balance treatment facilities, the Institute is also a respected provider of audiological evaluation services
and hearing loss solutions. In fact, the Institute is among the nation’s most well-equipped audiological facilities, serving an ever-growing number of adult, teen and pediatric
cases. Patients enjoy private, individualized attention from doctors of audiology, who use the latest resources and technologies to help bring patients relief.
Mission and Vision
The mission of the Institute is to help patients permanently resolve their hearing, dizziness or balance disorders. The goal is to return patients to the activity levels they experienced
prior to the onset of their illness/trouble/trauma. This is accomplished through specialized ongoing training of audiologists and the most sophisticated diagnostic technology available. These
elements have made the Institute one of the country's most inclusive balance facilities.
Vertigo, Dizziness, Balance Disorders, Tinnitus and Hearing Loss
Nearly 50 percent of people in the United States will experience balance disorders and vertigo sometime in their lives. In fact, dizziness is the third most common complaint in the primary
care setting among the general population and the most frequent reason for seeing a doctor among people ages 75 and older. Accordingly, balance related falls cause over 250,000 hip fractures a
year among individuals over age 65 and account for more than one-half of the accidental deaths among the elderly. Overall, the cost of medical care for patients with balance disorders exceeds $1
billion per year in the U.S. Furthermore, vestibular vertigo accounts for one-third of dizziness/vertigo symptoms in the medical setting. The most common vestibular disorder, Benign Paroxysmal
Positional Vertigo (BPPV), can be diagnosed and treated successfully with no pills and no surgery. Although 86 percent of people with BPPV undergo medical consultation, interruption of daily
activities, or sick leave, only eight percent receive effective treatment. In fact, less than 10 percent of dizzy patients are ever evaluated by a specialist, exacerbating the fact that children
with treatable vestibular disorders are sometimes incorrectly diagnosed as learning disabled, dyslexic, or psychologically disturbed.
The Most Advanced Diagnostic and Treatment Technology
The Institute has invested millions to equip its diagnostic and treatment team with the latest, most advanced technologies. Today, the Institute is one of only 12 practices in the United
States to feature the EPLEY Omniax® System for treating difficult-to-diagnose vertigo cases, including BPPV. Additionally, the Institute is one of only 63 the nation that uses the advanced
rotational chair to diagnose and treat vestibular disorders. The Institute is the only facility of its kind to offer this unique combination of diagnostic and therapeutic resources. This fact,
along with audiologists’ ongoing training and specialized expertise, distinguish the Institute from virtually all other institutions.
Leading into the Future
The future plans of the Institute are to continue leading the medical industry in evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of vertigo, dizziness, balance disorders and hearing loss. Furthermore,
the Institute’s team of doctors of Audiology will continue to provide the medical industry with promising diagnostic and treatment information through the advancement of emerging vestibular and
auditory research studies.