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Tricky post-laryngectomy swallows

Despite improvements in chemoradiation therapy and the adoption of organ preservation for some head and neck cancers, total laryngectomy remains the treatment often providing best survival chances for advanced laryngeal cancer. This article reviews the causes of dysphagia post-laryngectomy and...

Radiofrequency for tonsillectomy

This Turkish study compared the use of radiofrequency (RF) tonsillectomy to the more traditional cold steel dissection (CD) technique. The authors enrolled 114 patients undergoing tonsillectomy for chronic tonsillitis and tonsil hypertrophy (causing upper airway obstruction) over a 4-month period....

Unilateral vocal cord mobility impairment and laryngopulmonary physiology

The concept of iatrogenic recurrent laryngeal nerve injury following thyroid surgery is often considered with respect to voice change but its potential impact on airway physiology has thus far not been evaluated. A cross-sectional observational study reviewed 21 patients with...

Aural fullness in Ménière’s disease

This survey of the Finnish Ménière’s Association aimed to examine the severity and consequences of aural fullness, the least reported cardinal symptom of Ménière’s disease. An initial pilot survey informed a second, restructured survey, giving a total of 726 respondents...

Facial Landmark localisation by curvature maps and profile analysis

The detection of three dimensional (3D) landmarks by scanning surfaces is a well established method in medical science. Anatomical landmarks are visually or palpably detectable and act as reference points for clinical measurements. When measuring these landmarks with a sliding...

Anatomic guidelines to endolymphatic sac in transmastoid approach – a cadaveric study

This study involved cadaveric dissection using transmastoid approach in cadaveric embalmed five half heads and posterior fossa approach in fourteen. The sac was identified by electron microscopy. The relatively consistent measurements were the relationship of the operculum to the internal...

How many friends will you have after a TBI?

Friendships are key to reducing stress and improving morale and social support. Loss of friendships after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have a significant impact on these areas of a person’s life. There is little in the research literature...

How safe is sinonasal surgery for the operating surgeon in times of COVID-19?

I’m sure we have all wondered how safe we are in the operating theatre from virus circulating in the room and therefore the risk of subsequent COVID-19 infection. The authors addressed this by measuring the airborne particle concentrations in the...

Do adhesions actually cause nasal blockage?

All of us who perform nasal surgery are familiar with the disappointing presence of nasal adhesions (NA) or synechiae in our postop patients. These can often lead to patients deriving less perceived benefit from their surgery than that which they...

Demonstrating unobservable effects of therapy through PROMS: a review

Ultimately, healthcare should meet the needs of the people it is designed for. One way of measuring this is using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS). These tools capture the patient’s perspective and have been described as demonstrating the unobservable effects of...

Laryngeal evaluation during COVID-19 using transcervical ultrasonography

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors highlight their protocol of transcutaneous laryngeal ultrasonography as an alternative to flexible fibreoptic laryngoscopy when appropriate. This is to reduce the risk of aerosolisation posed by laryngoscopy. Ultrasonography is a rapid, non-invasive...