ENT features
The Journal of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (JCMSA): a model for sharing research from low- and middle-income countries
A new open-access journal from South Africa offers a sustainable model to amplify research from low- and middle-income countries and rebalance global health knowledge. More than 80% of the world’s population lives in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Yet high-income...
Pioneering in simulation surgery
Plastic temporal bones transformed ear surgery training, letting trainees practise complex procedures safely before operating on patients. I attended the Stell and Maran’s surgical course in the early 70s. It was superb but, with the confidence of naivety, I thought...
GIRFT: improving ENT care through standardised clinical pathways
Clinical pathways can help to ensure consistency of approach and efficient use of resources. We hear about new developments in the UK. Variation in ENT care In today’s data-driven healthcare landscape, significant variation persists in the provision of ENT services...
Optical cochlear implants: recent progress toward light-based hearing restoration
Optical cochlear implants combine optogenetics and light-based hardware to overcome limits of electrical CIs, promising sharper frequency resolution and more natural hearing. Cochlear implants (CIs) are among the most successful neuroprosthetic devices in modern medicine, restoring speech perception to hundreds...
A shifting landscape of otitis media
In light of pneumococcal vaccination programmes, is otitis media evolving to have a different natural history? Acute otitis media (AOM) is a major public health problem in children worldwide, as it is the leading bacterial infection and first cause of...
In memory of Iain Swan 1952–2025
Iain Swan. Iain Swan was a Senior Lecturer in Otorhinolaryngology, University of Glasgow and Consultant Otorhinolaryngologist, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Scottish Section MRC Institute of Hearing Research 1986-2016. Iain had a happy childhood growing up in Carbeth and attended school...
Current practice in cochlear implantation
From candidacy to surgery and rehabilitation, cochlear implant practice is evolving, with new technologies shaping outcomes for patients worldwide. Image courtesy of MED-EL. Cochlear implants restore a sense of hearing in the profoundly deaf, representing the most successful neuroprostheses available,...
The totally implantable cochlear implant
*The authors are in alphabetical order – both authors are first authors on this publication A groundbreaking fully implantable cochlear implant marks the start of a new era in hearing restoration – discreet, continuous and free from external hardware. The...
Centenary birthday of Jean-Marc Sterkers: pioneer of vestibular schwannoma surgery
Professor Jean-Marc Sterkers has been a leading figure in the field of otology and neurotology for several decades. On the verge of his 100th birthday, we celebrate an exceptional career through the memories of his son and colleagues. Prof Olivier...
In conversation with George Browning, author of Browning’s Audiology for Clinicians
Professor George Browning. It is one of those superbly bright August mornings in London’s West End. It gives Lamb’s Conduit Street, where I’m meeting George Browning, an almost timeless feeling. The café we meet at is bustling and noisy, and...
The emergence of in-office ventilation tubes for the treatment of otitis media in children
In-office tympanostomy tube systems offer a quicker, anaesthesia-free alternative to traditional surgery for children, with promising outcomes and reduced costs. Tympanostomy tube or grommet insertion is the most common surgery performed on children worldwide. Whilst a relatively short and straightforward...
Sustainability guidelines to reduce single-use items in ENT outpatients
ENT surgery generates significant waste, with single-use instruments and packaging as key contributors. This article outlines recommendations on sustainable practice that can be adopted into ENT departments. Climate change is one of the greatest threats to human health in the...
