Children’s ear, nose, and throat surgery wait times halve in Lower Austria
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Doctors at the Klosterneuburg location of the Tulln-Klosterneuburg University Hospital in Lower Austria, have reduced average wait times for common childhood ear, nose, and throat surgeries.
Previously, children waited up to 18 months for procedures like tonsil or adenoid removal and ear tube insertion. A project called “HNÖ helps!” initiated by HNO specialist Hannes Brandt began in September 2025, scheduling planned surgeries one day each week.
The hospital could offer these additional surgeries because it relocated its maternity ward to Tulln in July 2025, freeing up operating room capacity. In the first year, surgeons performed day-case operations on over 280 young patients. HNO doctors from the locations of St. Pölten, Krems, and Wiener Neustadt refer patients to Klosterneuburg.
Anton Kasser, a regional councillor, stated that this project demonstrates how existing resources can improve care, while the head of the Lower Austrian Health Agency, Elisabeth Bräutigam, hopes the model will be adopted in other medical areas.
