Journal Reviews
Blindness after orthognathic surgery
This is a case report and review of the literature of this rare, but well recognised alarming complication. The authors discuss the possible mechanisms, suggesting that it does not arise from a direct injury to the optic nerve and is...
Reactive lesions of the contralateral vocal cord – excise or leave?
It is well recognised that benign lesions of one vocal cord can give rise to reactive lesions of the contralateral vocal cord directly opposite to the primary lesion. These contralateral reactive lesions (CRLs) are thought to arise due to impact...
The newest robot from da Vinci – what can it offer for hypopharyngeal cancer surgery?
The standard existing da Vinci surgical robot (the Si model) has been much maligned for not being optimally designed for transoral access and endoscopic manoeuvrability in head and neck surgery. This preclinical work from Holsinger and his team looks at...
Close monitoring of patients for delayed hyponatremia post-transsphenoidal surgery
he incidence of delayed hyponatremia is 16-28% and usually accounts for unplanned readmission of the patient within 30 days after transsphenoidal surgery. One of the surrogate measures of quality of care adopted by the government and regulatory agencies is 30-day...
Advances in surgical innovation for head and neck cancer
This article reviews current advances in surgical treatment of head and neck cancers such as sentinel node biopsy, stereolithic modelling, transoral robotic surgery and intra-operative imaging of tumour margins. Sentinel node biopsy has been found to be especially useful for...
What is the evidence for contralateral tonsillectomy in TORS for known unilateral tonsil malignancy?
The concept of field changes by carcinogens within the upper aerodigestive tract is well established with reported rates of synchronous tumours of 4% and second primaries of 36%. The tonsil in particular has the highest rate of synchronous tumours, postulated...
Stenting and sinus surgery
Stents are used in sinus surgery with the aim of maintaining patency of sinus cavity avoiding restenosis from inflammation or scarring. The exact indication for stenting in sinus surgery however is still debated. The authors discussed the potential role of...
Should we routinely perform steroid injections following microlaryngeal excision of benign lesions?
This retrospective cohort study assessed a single surgeon’s outcomes before and after the routine administration of intralesional triamcinolone following microsurgical removal of benign vocal fold lesions (polyps, nodules and cysts). A total of 211 patients were recruited for the study....
Robotic surgery for ventral skull base malignancy
The use of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in the head and neck area has been shown to be a safe and effective technique, achieving good oncological clearance of the oropharynx, hypopharynx, supraglottis and glottic area. However, robotic surgery for the...
Surgery for snoring
The prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing is rapidly increasing. There is variable evidence for surgical treatments for snoring currently. This Belgian study was a retrospective review of 84 patients who underwent surgery for snoring between May 2011 and December 2015. A...
Are imaging studies necessary in uncomplicated headaches?
Over-imaging is one of the banes of modern medicine. One may argue that in this litigious atmosphere it is safer to get an MRI done rather than not. Despite the recommendations of the American Headache Society and the American College...
Options for the endoscope and acquired cholesteatoma
This was a thought-provoking article examining the reasons why the authors believe that the endoscope is enabling an improved understanding of acquired cholesteatoma and its management. They describe in depth the ventilation pathways of the middle ear, and how they...
