In a landmark procedure for Saint Lucia and the Eastern Caribbean, Tapion Hospital has performed its first balloon sinuplasty surgery specifically targeting the eustachian tube—offering new hope for patients suffering from chronic middle ear dysfunction. The operation marks a significant advancement in regional ENT (ear, nose, and throat) care, made more urgent by a longstanding shortage of ENT specialists.
The minimally invasive procedure was conducted by Dr. Leonard Suraj—Saint Lucia’s first and, for more than 30 years, only ENT surgeon—alongside Dr. James Fortson, a retired U.S. Army colonel and practicing ENT specialist based in Atlanta.
“Today is an important day for the development of health services and certainly surgery in Tapion,” said Suraj. “We treated a patient who had been having recurrent ear problems using balloon sinuplasty—a very new procedure for our setting. It addresses both sinus issues and middle ear dysfunction caused by a malfunctioning eustachian tube.”
While balloon sinuplasty for sinus treatment has been performed at Tapion before, this marks the first time the technique was used in Saint Lucia to treat the eustachian tube. The procedure is less invasive than traditional surgery, using a small balloon catheter threaded through the nasal passage to open blocked pathways and restore pressure balance.
“The eustachian tube runs from the back of the nose to the ear. It helps equalize pressure,” explained Fortson. “It can be affected by allergies, infections, and other ear diseases. Using a balloon to address blockages is less traumatic and highly effective in many cases.”
Their patient, a woman with chronic ear issues since childhood, had also recently suffered a respiratory infection—further complicating the surgery. Despite this, both surgeons reported success.
“I expect that when she recovers, her hearing might improve,” Suraj said. “Within a week or ten days, she should be fine.”
ENT specialists are in critically short supply across the region. Some islands have none. Dominica, for instance, has only one ENT surgeon who is not available in the public sector. Saint Lucia has just two.
That makes Tapion’s expanding role essential—not just locally, but throughout the Eastern Caribbean.
“This is not just about a procedure,” Fortson said. “It’s about building capacity and bringing advanced care home.”
For a country long reliant on overseas referrals, this successful adaptation of balloon sinuplasty could mark a turning point—delivering first-world care on home soil, and with it, greater medical independence.
