Video otology tutorials: how EES changes the game

High definition endoscopic ear surgery (EES) redefines traditional middle ear anatomical perspectives. The surgeon can observe in situ anatomical relationships with angled objectives in a way that the traditional microscopic view, with step-wise removal of structures is unable to achieve....

Endoscopic ear surgery in children

The benefits of endoscopes in otologic surgery, which have become increasingly widely appreciated in recent years, are very well suited to the management of paediatric middle ear disease. Although one might imagine that the smaller ear canal of a child...

TWJ Fellowship – Toronto 2015: Endoscopic Ear Surgery

The Thomas Wickham Jones (TWJ) Foundation is a charitable trust with the aim of helping patients with deafness overcome their disability. Striving to achieve this goal they provide educational grants to otolaryngologists and other related audiological professionals working within the...

Endoscopic middle ear surgery for cholesteatoma treatment

A critical question when any new technique is proposed is ‘does it work?’ In this article Daniele Marchioni and Davide Soloperto discuss the success rates of endoscopic ear surgery for cholesteatoma. Introduction Surgical management of cholesteatoma is still a controversial...

Superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome

In this article, Hannah North and Simon Lloyd give us an overview of the complex condition of superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) syndrome, including diagnosis, treatment and management. Superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) is a bony defect of the otic...

William Hunter’s work on the anatomy of the human ear

The Hunterian Society offers an annual award for an essay and presentation on a subject of relevance to John or William Hunter, or medicine in the 18th Century. This article is based on Emma Stapleton’s 2014 winning essay, which was...

Sir Terence Edward Cawthorne (1902-1970): first Chairman of the BACO Academic Committee

Sir Terence Cawthorne was the chairman of the academic committee of the first BACO in 1963, and was Master of the second BACO in 1967. In this article, Neil Weir describes the life and career of one of the UK’s...

Hearing and balance clinical trials network (HEARING CTN)

About the HEARING CTN The HEARING CTN is a new UK research network focused on promoting research collaboration and supporting high quality research studies, with the aim of improving the evidence supporting the diagnosis and management of hearing loss and...

Genetic discovery using animal models: presbyacusis

By their very nature, late-onset hereditary disorders offer a large window of opportunity for therapeutic intervention. However, before we can begin to think about strategies we need knowledge of the genetics and pathology underlying the condition. In this article we...

Discovery in the genetics of complex disease: Otitis media

Otitis media (OM), a common disease of childhood, is considered to be a complex trait with multiple genetic and environmental factors expected to contribute to a child’s risk of developing recurrent acute OM (rAOM; ≥3 episodes in 6 months or...

Assessment of genetic disorders: congenital sensorineural hearing loss

Severe or profound sensorineural hearing impairment (SNHI) is a common birth defect, affecting approximately 1 in 1000 newborns [1]. SNHI may result from environmental causes or have a genetic basis. The genetic causes can be further subdivided into non-syndromic (isolated...

Maxillofacial and neck surgery in Iraq and Afghanistan

Introduction Over the past 150 years, military personnel wounded in action had a survival rate of approximately 80% [1]. During the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, those servicemen wounded in action have a 90.4% survival rate [2]. During the...