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Two for one forearm flaps
There are many and varied free flaps available for reconstructions. Here is a variant on the workhorse radial free forearm flap. The modification involves a longer, narrower flap that can be rotated back on itself to increase the flap width...
Nasal packing after septoplasty
This Turkish study aimed to investigate the effects of different types of nasal packings on middle ear pressure in patients undergoing septoplasty. The authors reference several articles that describe eustachian tube dysfunction, temporary ear fullness and mild pain due to...
Reasons for rejection of BAHA in patients with unilateral hearing loss
Ever since Tjellström first developed the procedure of BAHA implantation, the techniques have come a long way towards faster and more convenient surgical methods to offer better hearing for a wide variety of conditions. Unilateral hearing loss has now been...
Surgical anatomy for central auditory device implantation
This cadaveric study by researchers in the USA and Japan examined the cerebellopontine angles with the aid of the surgical microscope and 45o endoscope via the retrosigmoid and translabyrinthine approach. Using fibre dissection technique, the ascending auditory pathways between the...
Tongue tie – just a snip?
This article regarding ankyloglossia raises an eyebrow; surely it’s just a snip isn’t it? Seemingly not. The authors describe two types of tongue tie – the first being posterior, with the frenulum being short and tight, the second being anterior,...
3D printed temporal bones for drilling are here!
It was only a matter of time before the 3D printer was used to help us with simulated temporal bone (TB) drilling. This group printed three paediatric TB models and evaluated their quality. They were found to be of ‘high...
Budesonide irrigation in polyposis
It is very well known through many RCTs and now meta-analyses that saline-based irrigation is beneficial in patients after sinus surgery. It is also demonstrated that intranasal steroids are beneficial postoperatively but there is also a trend for steroid based...
Amount of dietary iodine and thyroid cancer
Two molecular scientists from Zurich wrote this paper as a systematic review, asking the question of whether dietary iodine intake is a risk factor for developing thyroid cancer later on life. They speculate that low iodine intake is a risk...
Short-term risk of falling after cochlear implantation
This paper examined the effect of cochlear implantation on balance function in 16 adult patients. The authors assessed balance pre- and (two weeks) post-operatively by timing how long each patient was able to stand on a foam pad with their...
Vestibular functions of hereditary hearing loss patients with GJB2 mutations
Mutations of the GJB2 gene are a common cause of deafness, being found in 15-25% of cases of congenital deafness. Over 100 mutations are now recognised and may be associated with a hearing loss ranging from mild to profound. This...
A new free flap for the head and neck?
Reconstruction of major defects in the head and neck is usually an area where maxillofacial or plastic surgery colleagues come to assist, with consideration of the size and function any repair has to fulfil. Whilst the radial forearm free flap...
