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From the editor JanFeb 2022

The start of a new year is always an opportunity to look forward with a renewed sense of hope and optimism. It is also a chance to look back at the previous 12 months and, looking back to early 2021, we were just at the dawn of the COVID vaccination programme – this had developed at an unprecedented pace, and gave us all huge cause for excitement and hope.

Moving towards implanting children below 12 months of age

Newborn hearing screening has ensured that deaf infants are identified soon after birth so that habilitation can begin as early as possible. Cochlear implantation is a key component of early intervention for some children, but it is often not performed...

Surgery plus radiotherapy keeps the helical keloid scar away

Keloid scars lead to significant psychological and cosmetic morbidity. As the pinna is a key component of facial cosmesis, pinna keloid scar formation can be aesthetically displeasing. Their stubbornness and high recurrence rate can be challenging to treat. This department,...

Lost and sound: exploring hyperbaric oxygen therapy for refractory SSNHL

Can hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) offer a breakthrough for patients with refractory sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL)? SSNHL is defined as acute hearing loss of ≥30 decibels in three consecutive frequencies within three days. Typically, it’s treated with two weeks...

Outcomes of office-based biopsies for laryngopharyngeal carcinoma – faster diagnoses and equivalent oncological outcomes as compared to biopsies under general anaesthesia

Patients in the UK with head and neck cancers are the most likely to face long waits to treatment in comparison to other cancer sites, with only just over half commencing treatment within 62 days of being referred on a...

Bell’s palsy – antivirals and steroids for all?

The role of antiviral medications in the treatment of Bell’s palsy remains somewhat controversial. Antivirals alone do not appear to be helpful, whereas numerous studies have shown that corticosteroids improve the chance of a full recovery compared to placebo. What...

Hearing ‘aid’ for Ukraine

Hearing Aid Recycling (HAR) has partnered with Ukraine’s Vidchui organisation to deliver 1000 hearing aids to those affected by war. This collaboration provides essential support for military personnel and civilians suffering from hearing loss, highlighting the power of global solidarity...

Coblation tongue channelling

After uvulopalatoplasty, the tendency is to focus on the tongue base as the next anatomical area to address in the management of snoring and sleep-disordered breathing. In this article, Glen Burgess describes the technique of tongue channelling, to reduce the...

Tonsillectomy in adolescents

Tonsillectomy is one of the most common operations performed across the developed world. Salil Sood and Ray Clarke discuss the special considerations that apply when performing this procedure on adolescent patients. Tonsillitis in teenagers can be exceptionally painful and disruptive....