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Non-autologous graft material in paediatric tympanoplasty – is it as good as temporalis fascia and is it cost-effective?

This retrospective case review looks at the experience of a single unit using a variety of autologous (temporalis fascia, n=292) and non-autologous graft material, n=241 (alloderm (human dermis), biodesign (porcine submucosa, $170-$255) and tutoplast (human pericardium, $350). The average patient...

Impact of delaying otologic surgery

In this Belgian study, the authors looked at the impact of delaying otologic surgery by sending an online survey to 44 adult patients diagnosed with benign ear pathology whose surgery was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire was...

Does turbinoplasty outcome vary in the presence of allergic disease?

This well organised study from Australia looks at inferior turbinoplasty outcomes in patients with allergy and non-allergic rhinitis who have become refractory to medical treatment. There were 190 patients undergoing turbinoplasty with or without septoplasty assessed in this case-control study...

Balloon dilatation is an effective adjunct

This is a good study design, sufficiently powered, comparing medical management to balloon sinus dilatation. All patients had failed medical management and were thoroughly assessed preoperatively with Lund-Mackay score confirming abnormal CT findings, SNOT 20 index score, chronic sinusitis score...

Septal surgery made easy?

The injecting of the greater palatine canal has been documented for some time. The authors in this paper expand this to the more common procedure of the septoplasty. They summarise the pros and cons published regarding the technique in sinus...

Day care or admission for aesthetic nasal surgery?

Day-care surgery is gaining in popularity throughout the surgical specialities due to economical constraints and patient convenience. However this is not without risk and a careful procedure by procedure evaluation should be performed to prove the suitability of this type...

Nasal peak inspiratory flow (NPIF) as a diagnostic tool for differentiating decongestable from structural nasal obstruction

Identification of the cause of nasal obstruction is critical before surgical intervention such as septoplasty. This study assesses changes in nasal peak inspiratory flow (NPIF) as a tool for discriminating decongestable versus structural obstruction. A cross-sectional study of 52 patients...

A new septoplasty technique

This article describes a novel septoplasty technique to correct a cartilaginous deflection. Although it took a while to understand it as the operative photographs were not very helpful it is an interesting concept. The author excises an inferior strip and...

How much does FESS improve the sense of smell?

We are all familiar with patients who undergo a seemingly successful FESS but, in spite of this, have persistent smell dysfunction postoperatively. This study compares a surgical group with a control group, measuring olfactory function pre and postoperatively using Sniffin...

Rosemary oil to aid surgical healing?

There are a multitude of ways in which to damage the nasal epithelium, whether iatrogenically through nasal surgery, via injury, allergy, infection or inhalation of an environmental pollutant. This study looks at the role of the herb rosemary, in the...