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Video-augmented consent in thyroid surgery

Short, procedure-specific thyroid surgery videos improve patient understanding, standardise risk discussions and support informed consent. Background Informed consent is an important principle which underpins modern surgical practice. Patients are given information regarding their medical condition, discussion of the proposed treatment,...

Scarless thyroidectomy: the RABIT journey in robotic innovation

Surgeons in Bangalore share how a novel robotic approach enables scar-sparing thyroid surgery for large nodules and cancer, while reshaping global training. Can an 8 cm benign thyroid cystic nodule be removed without a big scar in the neck? Can...

Muscle tension dysphagia: an underdiagnosed problem

In this article, the authors introduce the description of swallowing problems which have been recently attributed to muscle tension dysphagia (MTDg). The authors are clear that this is a diagnosis of exclusion, and it is important to rule out other...

Developing principles of swallow rehabilitation using novel animal modelling

Never let it be said that we don’t cover a wide range of topics. Camilla Dawson tells us about the crossover between swallowing in seals and in humans. Rehabilitation of swallow is complex, informed by anatomical and physiological systems and...

What do animal models tell us about tinnitus and hyperacusis?

Do animals have tinnitus? The obvious question to ask is: do animals have tinnitus? It is known that tinnitus is a conscious percept and as such affected by attention and not audible during sleep. For it to be demonstrated that...

Detecting hearing loss in the military: are the current methods adequate?

A team at the University of Southampton have been funded by the Ministry of Defence to investigate how to improve the assessment of auditory fitness for duty in the UK Armed Forces. Matt Blyth talks us through the current methods...

TEN testing in paediatric patients

Threshold equalising noise (TEN) testing is used to identify dead regions (DRs) of the cochlear. Alexandra Lusty considers the challenges of using the TEN test in the paediatric population as well as the importance of identifying DRs. Diagnosing dead regions...

Working with people with hearing loss and dementia

A member of the SENSE-Cog team in the UK, Dr Littlejohn provides an overview of multidisciplinary recommendations for diagnosis, management and care of older adults with hearing loss, vision loss and dementia. She underscores how consideration of hearing status when...

Reflux – diagnostic tools and special considerations in singers

Depending on your point of view, laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is either ubiquitous or is over-diagnosed. Are singers more prone to LPR? What are the best tests? Mark Watson and Jane Shaw tell us more. Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR: the backflow of...

The future role of technology in rhinology

Technology is moving our speciality forward very rapidly in all domains, but none more so than in rhinology. David Whitehead looks at current and future trends. How will a surgeon justify their position in a team where artificial intelligence (AI)...

Innovation in medical product technologies

There is a point in all innovation projects where the clinician has exhausted their knowledge and needs expert help to create a prototype. Mark Prince, Design Engineer, discusses this phase of the project and how engineers’ analytical thinking brings a...

Vocal cord dysfunction and dysfunctional breathing: an evolving clinical paradigm

Patients frequently present to the ENT department with breathing difficulties. The entity of ‘vocal cord dysfunction’ (also known as paradoxical vocal cord movement, inducible laryngeal obstruction, and many other names) is increasingly well recognised. Ravi Thevasagayam gives us an overview....