Journal Reviews
Same, same: similarities in conversation between people with dementia and aphasia and their loved ones
This article proposes that studying the commonalities between the effect of dementia and aphasia (post stroke language impairment) on communication could result in greater sharing of clinically relevant interventions. To date the separate study has resulted in significant separation of...
Approach to the orbital floor: which is better?
During skeletal surgery sufficient exposure is key – often a direct approach through the overlying tissues is the easiest route. In the face, however, as the scar would be readily visible, approaches are designed to hide this. Surgical access to...
Mindfulness meditation versus relaxation therapy for tinnitus
Tinnitus, defined by McFadden as “a conscious experience of sound that originates in the head of its owner, without an external acoustic source”, has a high prevalence and variable psychological impact. It results from maladaptation of the brain to a...
Prioritisation of surgery for pituitary tumours
This study is based on the findings of internationally renowned skull base surgeons who convened to recommend this stratification scheme. The study authors report that incidental diagnosis of pituitary tumours during routine imaging as well as early identification of visual...
Management of stage IV pharyngolaryngeal lesions
This is a retrospective study of 63 patients presenting with stage four laryngeal and/or hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The aim was to define the factors influencing the oncological and functional outcomes of the patients. All patients had T4 lesions with...
To monitor the nerves or not?
Whilst intraoperative nerve monitoring has become the standard of care for mastoid and parotid surgery, its benefit in thyroid surgery remains unclear. In the UK NICE was agnostic on the subject in 2008, stating that it was potentially helpful and...
Helicobacter pylori and chronic tonsillitis
Helicobacter pylori infection in the stomach has long been associated with chronic gastritis, duodenal and peptic ulceration and even gastric cancer. Whether laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) brings up these organisms and induces chronic tonsillitis is an interesting concept, which the authors...
Which technique is better for turbinate reduction: surgical turbinoplasty or radiofrequency ablation?
Turbinate hypertrophy; radiofrequency; surgical turbinoplasty; visual analogue score
It’s not just about academic education for teenagers with TBI
Research has shown that many traumatic brain injuries are sustained before the age of 25. This article aims to examine the need for speech and language support for students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) beyond the issues a student may...
Application of balloon dilatation in chronic eustachian tube dysfunction
Chronic eustachian tube dysfunction prevails in 1% of the adult population and can predispose to middle ear disease. There are subjective and objective features of this condition that can affect quality of life. The common methods to treat eustachian tube...
A global view of thyroid surgery practices
The incidence of thyroid cancer continues to increase, and both surgery for benign and malignant disease carries an important and persistent incidence of perioperative complications. This paper reports the results of an electronic survey sent to members of seven surgical...
Predicting postoperative respiratory complications following paediatric adenotonsillectomy
This systematic review aimed to compare the presence of clinical features versus the polysomnography results in predicting major postoperative respiratory complications in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy for OSA. The study was prepared according to the PRISMA checklist. Overall 22 studies met...
