Professor
Michael Gluth
Specialist surgical care for complex ear and hearing conditions, with a particular focus on restoring hearing.
A focused surgical practice for ear and hearing disease
Professor Gluth provides specialist surgical care for adults with complex ear and hearing conditions, with a particular focus on restoring hearing — through reconstruction of the eardrum (tympanic membrane) and the small bones of the middle ear (the ossicular chain), surgery for otosclerosis, and cochlear and other hearing implants.
The practice works by referral, in close collaboration with audiologists, general practitioners, and specialist colleagues, and draws on more than two decades of clinical and research experience in otology and skull base surgery across Australia and the United States.
Conditions treated
Cochlear & hearing implants
Cochlear implants and other implantable hearing devices for significant hearing loss no longer helped by conventional aids.
Chronic ear infection & cholesteatoma
Surgery to clear infection and disease from the ear and mastoid, with reconstruction of hearing where possible.
Eardrum & ossicular reconstruction
Repair of the eardrum and the small middle-ear bones following perforation, injury, or disease.
Stapes surgery for otosclerosis
Primary and revision stapes surgery to restore hearing affected by otosclerosis.
Ménière’s disease & inner-ear disorders
Procedural management of Ménière’s disease and selected inner-ear conditions, including in-clinic intratympanic injection therapy.
Ear canal lesions & exostoses
Surgical treatment of growths and narrowing of the ear canal, including exostoses (“surfer’s ear”).
View full descriptions on the Conditions & Procedures page.
Referring a patient
Professor Gluth welcomes referrals from general practitioners, audiologists, and specialist colleagues.
Professor Michael Gluth
Professor Michael Gluth is a fully qualified specialist ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon in both Australia and the United States, with a subspecialty background and focus in ear and skull base surgery. He has an established international career in the surgical management of complex ear and hearing disorders. He holds the Gordon McLaren Chair in Ear Science Surgery & Research at the University of Western Australia and is a research lead at Ear Science Institute Australia. Prior to his current position, he was Professor of Surgery and Director of the Comprehensive Ear & Hearing Center at the University of Chicago. He is also the current Executive Director of the Prosper Ménière Society, an international organisation of clinicians and researchers with an interest in inner ear disorders.
Professor Gluth has extensive experience in primary and revision ear surgery — in particular reconstruction of the eardrum and middle ear, mastoid surgery, stapes surgery, and cochlear implantation. He applies a deep knowledge of ear disease and anatomy across the full range of modern surgical techniques and instrumentation. His philosophy is to treat every case as unique, selecting the approach best suited to the individual patient and favouring minimal-access, low-morbidity techniques where appropriate. As convenor or invited instructor, he has taught at ear surgical laboratory courses worldwide, including in Australia, the United States, Asia, South America, and Europe.
Professor Gluth has published his research, including outcomes for ear surgery, in scientific journals, and has co-authored two textbooks — including a comprehensive work on chronic ear infection, The Chronic Ear, which has been translated into multiple languages. He has designed several ossicular replacement prostheses used to repair damaged middle-ear bones, including the Gluth Alto titanium implant line, distributed worldwide. At the University of Chicago he led a laboratory focused on the pathological basis of hearing loss and ear disease, and he continues to develop new ear surgical technologies in Perth.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in zoology and history, he completed his Doctorate of Medicine (MD) at the University of Texas Health Science Center. He undertook specialist surgical training in otolaryngology–head & neck surgery at the Mayo Clinic, followed by advanced fellowship training in ear and skull base surgery in Perth (Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital) with Professor Marcus Atlas, and a period at the University of Arkansas as a junior colleague and protégé to Professor John Dornhoffer.
- Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (Otolaryngology)
- Fellow, American College of Surgeons
- Diplomate, American Board of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery
- Executive Director, Prosper Ménière Society
- MD, University of Texas Health Science Center, USA
- Specialist Surgical Training, Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery (ENT), Mayo Clinic, USA
- Advanced Otology & Skull Base Surgery Fellowship, SCGH, Perth
- Professor & Gordon McLaren Chair in Ear Science Surgery & Research, UWA
- Research Lead & Surgeon Scientist, Ear Science Institute Australia
- Former Professor of Surgery & Director, Comprehensive Ear & Hearing Center, University of Chicago
- Former Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, USA
- Former Executive Committee Member, Board of Governors, American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery
- ENT Consultant — Royal Perth Hospital; Subiaco Private Hospital; St John of God Hospital, Subiaco & Geraldton
- Australian Society of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery (ASOHNS) · American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) · Triological Society · American Otological Society · American Neurotology Society · Politzer Society
- Dorothy L. McGee Lecturer in Hearing Science, Department of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- With Distinction Award (Thesis), Triological Society
- Best Doctors in Chicago, Chicago Magazine
- Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, Section of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, University of Chicago
- Dean’s Teaching Award, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine
- Valerie Alder Research Prize, Ear Science Institute Australia
- Mayo Clinic International Health Program Scholarship Award
Surgical and procedural care for the ear
The practice focuses on the surgical and procedural management of ear, hearing, and selected inner-ear conditions. Each treatment plan is tailored to the individual patient and developed alongside audiology and imaging where required.
Cochlear & other auditory implants
Cochlear and other implantable hearing devices for adults with significant hearing loss that is no longer adequately helped by hearing aids. This includes cochlear implants as well as bone-conduction and middle-ear implant systems, with assessment and planning carried out alongside audiology to suit each patient’s hearing and circumstances.
Surgery for chronic ear infection & cholesteatoma
Surgery to clear infection and disease from the ear and mastoid bone, including cholesteatoma — a skin growth in the middle ear that can damage hearing and surrounding structures if left untreated. The goal is a safe, dry, healthy ear, with reconstruction of hearing where possible.
Eardrum & ossicular chain reconstruction
Repair of the eardrum (tympanic membrane) and the small bones of the middle ear (the ossicular chain) following perforation, injury, or damage from chronic disease. These reconstructive procedures aim to restore the ear’s natural sound-conducting mechanism.
Stapes surgery for otosclerosis
Otosclerosis is abnormal bone growth around the stapes that progressively reduces hearing. Stapes surgery (stapedotomy) replaces the fixed bone with a small prosthesis to restore sound transmission. Professor Gluth performs both primary and revision stapes surgery.
Ménière’s disease & inner-ear disorders
Procedural treatment of Ménière’s disease and selected inner-ear conditions, including in-clinic intratympanic (through-the-eardrum) injection therapy. Certain vestibular conditions may also be assessed for surgical options where appropriate.
Ear canal lesions & exostoses
Surgical treatment of narrowing or growths of the ear canal, including exostoses (“surfer’s ear”) — bony swellings, common in people with frequent cold-water exposure, that can trap wax and water and affect hearing.
Skull base disease & tumours
Assessment and surgical management of selected tumours and other disease of the lateral skull base, undertaken within a multidisciplinary team where appropriate.
Referring to Professor Gluth
Professor Gluth welcomes referrals from general practitioners, audiologists, and specialist colleagues. Referrals are reviewed promptly and patients are contacted to arrange an appointment.
How to refer
- Send a referral letter to the rooms by email or fax.
- Include the patient’s contact details and a summary of the history and current concern.
- Attach a recent audiogram and any relevant imaging (CT / MRI) where available.
Well-suited referrals
- Hearing loss being considered for cochlear or other implantable devices.
- Chronic ear infection, perforation, or cholesteatoma.
- Conductive hearing loss, including suspected otosclerosis.
- Ear canal lesions and exostoses.
- Ménière’s disease for procedural management.
Email: surgery@earscience.org.au
Fax: +61 8 6380 4999 · Telephone: +61 8 6166 3767
Appointments & enquiries
A referral from your general practitioner or specialist is required to arrange an appointment. Please contact the rooms to book or for any enquiry.
Suite 3, Ground Floor
1 Salvado Road
Subiaco WA 6008
Professor Gluth is an independent consultant at the Ear Science Surgical Facility.
Arranging your appointment
To make an appointment and claim Medicare benefits, you will need a referral from a medical practitioner. Your referring doctor can send the referral to the rooms by email, post, or fax.
New patient referrals are triaged by Professor Gluth to ensure that any required assessments are arranged before your consultation. You will then be contacted by the rooms, or an appointment letter will be emailed or posted to you.
Before your appointment
So that a comprehensive medical profile is available for review before you are seen, new patients are asked to complete an online registration questionnaire. You will also be asked to provide a copy of your referral and any relevant reports — including hearing tests, audiology reports, and radiology scans. These can be uploaded with the questionnaire, or emailed to the rooms if you have not already sent them. An appointment cannot be allocated until the referral and supporting documents have been received.
If you are unable to complete the questionnaire online, a copy can be posted to you with your appointment letter.
Patient registration form
New patients can complete the online registration questionnaire and upload documents securely. The form is hosted on the Ear Science Institute Australia surgical practice website — please complete it as normal, noting Professor Gluth as your treating surgeon.
Telephone: +61 8 6166 3767
Fax: +61 8 6380 4999
Email: surgery@earscience.org.au
Please do not send medical information or documents by unencrypted email where the secure registration form is available.