Amy Campbell, ST5 Otorhinolaryngology at Ninewells Hospital in DundeeThis year’s Scottish International Head and Neck Conference was an example of a truly successful hybrid course. It was hosted by the conference chair, Jai Manick, and co-organiser Omar Hilmi, and in...
Several years ago, after being appointed as a consultant, my esteemed senior colleague entered my office and questioned why I was reading a textbook at that stage of my career, suggesting that I should be focusing solely on journals. Whilst...
Septal perforations are difficult problems to treat. There are various causes described in literature such as trauma, inflammatory, cocaine abuse but most often they are due to iatrogenic cause (such as septoplasty) or due to trauma. The symptoms due to...
This article takes us through the diagnosis and management of swallowing problems common in older age. As our global population continues to grow and live longer, dysphagia will continue to be a global problem which needs to be recognised, understood...
Having had a septoplasty a number of years ago for the potential treatment of snoring, I was intrigued by this paper which compared the analgesic effect of tramadol-soaked and lignocaine-soaked nasal packs following septoplasty. In my practice, I have always...
Early identification of dysphagia in inpatients on acute stroke wards has been recommended as best practice guidelines in many countries. However, several institutions fail to use formal dysphagia screening protocols and rely on informal detection by nurses and doctors. This...
This paper reports on the largest cross-continent study to date, looking at the prevalence of swallowing problems reported by adults in the community aged 18-65 years old. The authors used the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) distributed via an online survey...
People living with dysphagia often experience mental health difficulties. This study aimed to identify whether pre-existing anxiety and depression impacted patient scores on a patient-reported swallowing outcome measure, the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) where a score of ≥3 is indicative...
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) requires an anterior transcervical approach (ACA) to allow decompression of the cervical spine and nerve roots. This approach is also occasionally used for corpectomy and osteophyte removal. Key neurovascular structures related to swallowing and...
It is estimated that 5% of the population (around 3 million people in the UK) have a smell disorder, meaning they are unable to smell properly, if at all. Anosmia, the loss of smell and taste, is one of the...
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust runs the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, which is a designated Major Trauma Centre. The Trust holds the contract to treat all UK injured military personnel evacuated from combat zones overseas. More than 1200 of...
Imaging of the extra-cranial head and neck is challenging due to the anatomic complexity of the region. CT, MRI and ultrasonography (US) are amongst the most frequently utilised radiological modalities in head and neck imaging but do not always provide...