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Surgery of the Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands - Third Edition

Surgery of the Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands - Third Edition is an excellent text for trainee and specialist surgeons with an interest in head and neck endocrine surgery. The organisation of the book simply makes sense, showing progression from the...

Head and neck high dependency unit - an alternative to ITU?

Close observation of the airway is a primary requirement for patients undergoing major head and neck surgery. It is also necessary for patients with upper airway infection and trauma. Wound care, drains, feeding and analgesia also require specific attention. Whilst...

A new bio-glue for neurosurgical wound closures

Dural closures need to be tight to prevent cerebrospinal fluid leaks. Traditional wound closure techniques involve sutures and DuraSeal which is the only FDA approved polyglycol hydrogel sealant with proven safety and efficacy profile. This article describes a new sealant,...

Multiple free flaps for head and neck cancer

Most patients with advanced head and neck cancers now undergo microvascular free flap reconstruction. This is mainly as flaps facilitate complete tumour and margin removal by providing reliable wound coverage and better restoration of form and function. However despite this,...

Hydrogen peroxide and its uses in healthcare

This is an interesting review about the origin and uses of hydrogen peroxide, especially in neurosurgery. However, its uses are ubiquitous and applicable to several medical specialties. When hydrogen peroxide was first discovered in 1818 by Louis Thenard, it had...

Early vs late activation of cochlear implant device

Device activation after cochlear implant surgery was typically performed after wound healing, and varies anytime from three to four weeks after surgery. Nowadays, activation is performed as early as two to three days after surgery. The authors evaluated the effect...

Laser for active mucosal chronic otitis media

Active mucosal chronic otitis media (COM) is a condition characterised by otorrhoea secondary to chronic inflammation of the middle ear and mastoid mucosa associated with granulations and a tympanic membrane perforation. Surgical intervention is often required, but concurrent mastoidectomy with...

Preoperative risk factors: when do you need to refer to the haematologist?

It is essential that clinicians are able to identify and assess which patients are in the high risk category for bleeding during ENT surgery. A full history, including medications, herbal remedies taken, any other medical co-morbidities and family history of...

Surgical outcomes of myringoplasty using platelet-rich plasma

Tympanic membrane (TM) perforations can affect people’s quality of life due to recurrent infections. Management is often by surgical repair. In this study, the authors investigated the outcomes of a minimally invasive approach of patch myringoplasty using an atelocollagen sponge...

Parapharyngeal space tumours – is the transoral approach effective?

Several approaches are described to the parapharyngeal space to permit resection of tumours in this region, with the most commonly employed approach being the transcervical route. The transoral approach remains somewhat controversial as it is felt that this approach can...