Dizziness, hearing problems, tinnitus… Certain ENT conditions require specialized investigations and, at times, numerous tests before an accurate diagnosis can be made. To strengthen these services on Réunion, Clinique Saint-Vincent—a facility of the CLINIFUTUR Health Group—inaugurated SEQOIA on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, its new center of expertise dedicated to advanced investigations of ENT and balance disorders.
The inauguration took place in the presence of Marie-Pierre Lagarde, Director of Clinique Saint-Vincent; Dr. Jean-François Vellin, an ENT surgeon who spearheaded the project, and Dr. Mathias Deleflie, Deputy CEO and Medical Director of the CLINIFUTUR Health Group, alongside Inès Lobo de Sousa, Deputy Director General of the Réunion Regional Health Agency (ARS), and Pauline Bacca, a representative of the City of Saint-Denis.
Open since June 2026 and led by Dr. Jean-François VELLIN and the team of ENT surgeons at Clinique Saint-Vincent, SEQOIA offers a coordinated care pathway for diagnosing complex ENT conditions by consolidating the necessary tests for evaluating these conditions into a half-day or full-day session.
Improving Access to Specialized ENT Care in Réunion
SEQOIA was founded with the goal of developing a specialized service in Réunion that would allow for a more detailed investigation of certain ENT conditions, particularly hearing and balance disorders, vertigo, and tinnitus, as well as disorders affecting nasal breathing and the Eustachian tube.
In particular, the center offers diagnostic tests that were previously unavailable on the island of Réunion.
Spanning two floors, SEQOIA features four fully equipped rooms, including a soundproof booth dedicated to hearing evaluations. Its technical facilities enable the center to perform vestibular assessment batteries, dynamic visual acuity measurements, Active Gaze Shift (vAGS) video testing, and multifrequency tympanometry. The center also enables local procedures under local anesthesia to be performed in a sterile environment thanks to access to the Surgicub located within the clinic.
The goal is to have advanced diagnostic tools available locally in order to better characterize the conditions patients are experiencing and to refer them to appropriate care.
A process designed to consolidate the patient's tests
Beyond its technical facilities, SEQOIA operates as a day-care unit dedicated to advanced diagnostic testing for ENT and balance disorders. The development of this service is one of the new care offerings at Clinique Saint-Vincent.
In practice, patients are referred to SEQOIA by their primary care physician, ENT specialist, or another healthcare professional. Depending on their condition, the tests required for their evaluation are identified and scheduled in advance.
On the day of their visit, patients follow a structured half-day or full-day schedule, during which several tests may be performed consecutively.
For certain complex evaluations, up to ten tests may be necessary. Grouping these tests into a single session aims to minimize the number of appointments and trips, shorten the diagnostic process, and enable faster referral to appropriate care.
This process is supported by a multidisciplinary team comprising ENT physicians, vestibular physical therapists, audiologists, diagnostic technicians, and a nurse coordinator.
A project aimed at reducing inequalities in access to healthcare
The development of SEQOIA is part of an initiative aimed at improving access to specialized healthcare services in Réunion and reducing regional health disparities.
PRESS RELEASE
Clinique Saint-Vincent
This project is supported by the Fund for Modernization and Investment in Health (FMIS), which is funded by the European Union as part of the France Relance plan. It was made possible with the support of the Réunion Regional Health Agency, which contributed 600,000 euros toward the project’s funding, for a total investment of 1.5 million euros.
Multidisciplinary expertise serving the region
The opening of SEQOIA builds on the ENT expertise developed at Clinique Saint-Vincent, expanding the diagnostic and diagnostic imaging options available to patients.
Beyond diagnosis, the project also aims to advance clinical research and specialized training in collaboration with Clinique Saint-Vincent’s Clinical Research & Innovation Center.
SEQOIA is thus designed to contribute to the advancement of knowledge regarding ENT and neurosensory disorders, as well as to promote the dissemination of specialized skills and diagnostic techniques.
Through this new center, Clinique Saint-Vincent aims to help establish a center of expertise in Réunion and, more broadly, in the Indian Ocean region, to serve the needs of the population.
“SEQOIA’s mission is to optimize the EARLY screening of audio-vestibular disorders in older adults for patients in the northeastern region of Réunion, and it aims to offer a ‘comprehensive multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluation’ for the population of Réunion at a single location and in a single visit, particularly in the context of complex and disabling neurosensory disorders in adults. ”
Dr. Jean-François VELLIN
ENT Surgeon – Clinique Saint-Vincent
SEQOIA at a Glance
• 4 fully equipped rooms
• Access to the Surgicub for quick procedures under local anesthesia
• Care organized as outpatient care
• Half a day or a full day to complete the necessary tests
• Up to about ten tests for certain complex evaluations
About Clinique Saint-Vincent
Located in Saint-Denis, the Clinique Saint-Vincent is a facility of the CLINIFUTUR Healthcare Group. Its healthcare services focus primarily on two areas: surgery and medical and rehabilitation care (SMR).
The facility is developing new medical and surgical services to expand its range of care and meet the healthcare needs of the local community. Otolaryngology (ENT) and head and neck surgery are among the specialties being developed at the clinic.
