Atlantic County Times

Dr. Nicola DeLorio knew from a young age she wanted to be a physician.

Since graduating from Niagara University in Buffalo, and medical school at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark, DeLorio has worked as a physician in South Jersey communities for more than 25 years.

“I wanted to be a doctor since I had my tonsils out when I was 6-years-old and really never wavered from that,” DeLorio told the Atlantic County Times.

She says she tries to both treat and teach her patients.

“I believe a happy patient is an educated patient,” DeLorio said. “My philosophy involves explaining the disease process to the patient. It starts with why and what they’re experiencing, as well as explaining their treatments and why we’re choosing those treatments. Then they feel like they’re more involved in their care, and are usually more compliant because their understanding of what the pain is.”

A pain treatment in which she now specializes is called balloon sinuplasty. This procedure is typically recommended to those dealing with chronic sinusitis — which happens when “the spaces inside your nose and head are swollen and inflamed for three months or longer, despite treatment. The common condition interferes with the way mucus normally drains and makes your nose stuffy,” according to a definition from the Mayo Clinic.

Balloon sinuplasty “allows us to take a small balloon in the office and place it into the opening of the sinus to open the sinus up and restore drainage. There is no surgery and no general anesthesia," DeLorio said. "There's very, very little recovery, so it's really a lifestyle change for people,” DeLorio said. “For people with chronic sinusitis, the balloon sinuplasty is really the game-changer."

DeLorio branched out on her own a decade ago, opening the Accent Head and Neck Group in Linwood.

One office specializes in ear, nose and throat surgery, focusing on sinus procedures. 

The second office is a medical spa.

Patients have access to “a full range of aesthetic care. We have an esthetician doing facials and peels, cool sculpting or therapy. I do injectables. We also have a product boutique for home care," DeLorio said.

DeLorio started her medical career in Piscataway for two years and did clinical rotations in North Jersey. She did a residency year as a general surgeon and four years of ENT and facial plastics for hospitals with the St. Barnabas Medical Center group.

When not helping people living with sinusitis, DeLorio likes to go biking and play golf. She also recently started fly fishing.