Prasad Sanjay, MD in Baltimore: Neurotologic ENT Specialist at Metropolitan NeuroEar Group

Metropolitan NeuroEar Group operates an otolaryngology practice in Baltimore focused on neurotology—the intersection of ear disorders, neurological conditions, and skull-base surgery. Prasad Sanjay, MD, leads the group's neurotologic services, meaning he treats complex ear disorders that general ENT practices often refer out rather than handle in-house.

What Metropolitan NeuroEar Group actually is

Metropolitan NeuroEar Group is a multi-specialty ear, nose, and throat practice with a dedicated neurotology division. Neurotology differs from general otolaryngology because it requires fellowship training and concentrates on disorders of the temporal bone (the skull bone housing the ear), balance disorders tied to neurological causes, and surgery on the structures of the inner ear and skull base. Sanjay's credentials include this fellowship training, positioning Metropolitan NeuroEar Group as the place Baltimore patients are sent when a community ENT cannot solve a chronic ear problem or suspects a tumor, trauma, or nerve-related dysfunction.

The practice is part of a larger regional otolaryngology network, so it can coordinate with general ENT physicians in the Baltimore area while maintaining its specialist depth. This matters because not every ear problem requires a neurotologist; routine sinus infections, ear tubes for children, or common hearing loss are handled adequately by general ENT practices. Metropolitan NeuroEar Group exists for the cases that don't resolve.

Conditions and services addressed

Neurotologic practice centers on several categories. Chronic ear disease that has not responded to antibiotics or repeated office procedures falls under this scope—infections of the mastoid bone, chronic drainage, or cholesteatoma (abnormal skin growth in the middle ear). Acoustic neuromas (benign tumors on the nerve connecting ear to brain) are a signature neurotologic diagnosis. Balance disorders such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) that do not respond to standard repositioning maneuvers, and vestibular schwannomas are neurotologic problems. Trauma to the temporal bone after head injury, sudden sensorineural hearing loss without a clear cause, and facial nerve paralysis also fall within this specialty. Skull-base tumors and surgical approaches to access them represent the highest tier of neurotologic work.

Services at Metropolitan NeuroEar Group include diagnostic imaging interpretation (CT and MRI of the temporal bone), vestibular testing, intraoperative neuromonitoring during delicate ear surgeries, and surgical intervention. The practice handles both medical management and surgical repair, so a patient may start with imaging and medication, then move to surgery if needed.

Pricing for neurotologic services varies sharply depending on whether the visit is diagnostic imaging review with a consultation, an office surgery such as injection for vertigo, or a full operating room procedure. Initial consultation typically runs $150 to $300 out of pocket for uninsured patients; insurance copays or coinsurance apply for insured patients. Operative procedures are facility-based and vary by complexity; neurotologic surgery for tumor removal or mastoid revision can exceed $15,000 in surgical and facility costs before insurance. Verify current pricing with the office, as fee schedules change annually.

How to access and what referral looks like

Most neurotologic practices in Baltimore require a referral from another physician—typically a general ENT who recognizes the case is beyond routine scope, a neurologist who suspects an ear-based cause for dizziness or hearing loss, or a primary care doctor who has already tried standard treatments. Some insurance plans also require referral authorization before a neurotology consultation is covered. Direct self-referral is not common in subspecialty otolaryngology, though some patients do call and request scheduling; the office will ask for prior records or prior imaging to avoid duplicating tests.

The first appointment at Metropolitan NeuroEar Group usually involves history-taking, physical examination including specialized hearing and balance testing in the office, and review of any prior imaging. Many patients bring previous CT or MRI scans; if scans are recent and available, the neurotologist may review them rather than order new ones immediately. This reduces cost and radiation exposure.

How it compares to other Baltimore-area neurotology options

Neurotology is uncommon enough in Baltimore that truly local alternatives are limited. Most general ENT practices in the region refer complex cases to one of three groups: Metropolitan NeuroEar Group (focusing on Sanjay and his colleagues), Johns Hopkins otolaryngology (which has a full academic neurotology division and treats high-complexity cases, often accepting referrals from throughout Maryland), or University of Maryland Medical Center's otolaryngology department. Johns Hopkins is appropriate when a case is extremely rare, involves a tumor requiring skull-base team involvement, or when the patient seeks academic medical center resources; it is not faster or less expensive for a straightforward acoustic neuroma diagnosis. University of Maryland otolaryngology serves the western Baltimore metro and uninsured/publicly insured patients effectively.

Metropolitan NeuroEar Group sits in the middle: more specialized than a community ENT, faster to access and less bureaucratic than a large academic center, and likely to be in-network for most commercial insurance plans. If your case is routine balance disorder or simple hearing loss, a general ENT suffices. If you need neurotologic expertise without the wait times of an academic referral center, Metropolitan NeuroEar Group is the choice.

Who it suits and who it does not

This practice suits patients with chronic ear or balance problems that have not responded to initial treatment, patients referred by another ENT who recognizes complexity, and patients whose insurance or primary doctor has suggested they need a specialist evaluation. It also suits patients who prefer accessing a subspecialist directly from a regional practice rather than entering an academic hospital system.

It does not suit patients with acute ear infection (go to urgent care or your primary doctor), patients whose symptoms are clearly simple (like routine sinus congestion), or patients seeking a general ENT who handles routine hearing aids and ear tubes. Patients without any prior medical workup should expect to start at a general ENT or urgent care first, then be referred onward if the problem proves complex.

Hours, location, and logistics

Metropolitan NeuroEar Group maintains office locations in the Baltimore area with clinical hours typically Monday through Friday during standard business hours. Specific address, parking, and exact hours should be confirmed by phone at the time of scheduling, as practices occasionally shift locations or adjust hours seasonally. Most office visits are by appointment; same-day or walk-in slots for neurotologic consultation are rare.

Prasad Sanjay, MD, and the Metropolitan NeuroEar Group neurotology practice offer Baltimore the rare combination of subspecialist expertise and regional accessibility, making it the referral destination when routine ear and balance care reaches its limits.