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What does an Olympic medal and surgery have in common?

Competing against female Eastern Bloc athletes in the 1980s was a thankless task, demanding a mulish tenacity in an often futile cause. Ideal preparation for a career in surgery? My path to medicine was unusual, in that I left school...

Assessment of genetic disorders: congenital sensorineural hearing loss

Severe or profound sensorineural hearing impairment (SNHI) is a common birth defect, affecting approximately 1 in 1000 newborns [1]. SNHI may result from environmental causes or have a genetic basis. The genetic causes can be further subdivided into non-syndromic (isolated...

Cochlear implant care: putting patients in charge

Should patients take charge of their own cochlear implant care? Helen Cullington presents a compelling case that will provoke discussion in implant centres. Around 1400 people receive a cochlear implant in the UK each year. Patients require lifetime annual follow-up...

Cochlear implants for children

The field of cochlear implants in children has expanded remarkably over 40 years. Elizabeth Tyszkiewicz reflects on success and current challenges and calls for a national review of outcomes for young adults who received their implants in childhood. Aleena is...

Neural plasticity and aural rehabilitation

Neural plasticity refers to an ability of the brain and central nervous system to change their structure and function or their reorganisation in response to environmental cues, experience, learning, behaviour, injury and / or diseases and treatments. Neural plasticity is...

What’s new in implantable devices? New indications in cochlear implantation

For over 40 years, cochlear implant procedures have steadily increased. Outcomes for patients are improving as a result of modified surgical techniques, a wider portfolio of electrode arrays, advances in programming strategies, access to improved technology and a better understanding...

Privacy and security in connected hearing healthcare

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced audiology services across the globe to find new ways of working. This has resulted in a rapid increase in the uptake of remote care and, with it, some new privacy and security considerations. Connected hearing...

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...