Michigan ENT & Allergy Specialists Ear and Hearing Institute

Michigan ENT & Allergy Specialists Ear and Hearing Institute is the center of excellence for complex, surgical, and specialty ear conditions. It’s where patients come when a condition hasn’t responded to standard treatment, and where physicians refer their most challenging ear cases.

Led by fellowship-trained neurotologist Dr. Greg Artz, M.D. and Dr. Michael Foster, D.O., our team brings together ENT, audiology, and neurotology under one roof to deliver coordinated care that simply isn’t available anywhere else in the region. Patients get a level of expertise typically found only at major academic medical centers.

Fellowship training in neurotology represents the highest level of subspecialty preparation in ear medicine. Neurotologists specialize in complex surgical conditions of the ear, hearing, and skull base, conditions that go beyond the scope of general ENT care.

Dr. Artz and Dr. Foster completed this advanced training — and together they bring more than 25 years of surgical experience and over 10,000 complex ear procedures to their patients. That depth of expertise, combined with seamless coordination across our ENT, audiology, and neurotology team, means faster answers, more precise diagnosis, and better outcomes.

The Ear and Hearing Institute is built for complex care from the ground up. Dedicated physician assistants support every patient’s experience. Referrals from external physicians are processed promptly. And for patients already in the Michigan ENT & Allergy Specialists network, seamless in-house referrals mean no gaps in care.

The Ear and Hearing Institute specializes in complex ear conditions that often go undiagnosed or undertreated — including cases that haven’t responded to standard care. We treat adults and children with conditions including:

• Cholesteatoma – abnormal skin growth in the middle ear that can damage hearing structures if left untreated
• Otosclerosis – abnormal bone growth in the middle ear that causes progressive hearing loss
• Acoustic Neuroma and Skull Base Tumors – noncancerous and cancerous growths affecting the ear, hearing, and surrounding structures
• Tympanic Membrane Perforation – hole or tear in the eardrum causing hearing loss, drainage, or recurrent infection
• Sudden Hearing Loss – rapid, unexplained hearing loss that requires prompt medical evaluation
• Eustachian Tube Dysfunction – chronic pressure, fullness, or blockage in the ears
• Pediatric Ear Conditions – complex and surgical ear conditions in infants and children
• Hearing Bone Disorders – damage or deterioration of the tiny bones of the middle ear

Our fellowship-trained neurotologists offer the full range of surgical and medical treatments for complex ear conditions — procedures that require specialized expertise and aren’t widely available in Western Michigan:

• Stapedectomy – microsurgery to restore hearing in patients with otosclerosis
• Tympanoplasty – surgical repair of a damaged or perforated eardrum
• Skull Base Surgery & CSF Leak Repair – advanced surgical treatment for tumors and lesions affecting the skull base
• Eustachian Tube Balloon Dilation – minimally invasive procedure to open a blocked or dysfunctional Eustachian tube
• Cochlear Implants – surgically implanted device that restores sound perception for adults and children with significant hearing loss
• Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA) – implantable hearing solution for patients with conductive hearing loss or single-sided deafness
• Ossicular Chain Reconstruction – surgical repair or replacement of the damaged hearing bones of the middle ear