Search

What is voice?

Voice is an area of clinical practice in speech and language therapy where there remains much debate, not only around the aetiology and classifications of voice disorders, but around the treatment of them. In general, it is accepted that ‘voice...

Patient-reported outcome measures in septorhinoplasty

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are used increasingly in surgical research to quantify the efficacy of surgical interventions. This can help to fill an ‘evidence gap’ where healthcare rationing threatens particular treatments. Procedures aimed at improving quality of life, especially with...

A global survey of tracheostomy healthcare provision and patient participation: requirements for improvement

Patients with tracheostomy require comprehensive care which should begin in the preoperative phase and go through immediate postoperative and discharge phases with patient involvement as well. The authors assessed this with a multicentre, cross-sectional survey using a mailing list held...

Novel wax solvent

This paper describes an open label, prospective study undertaken by the authors to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a novel topical wax solvent. This new product has a dual action using a bicarbonate system to disrupt the esters and...

A new hydrogel dural sealant for CSF repair

This paper reports the findings of a multicentre prospective randomised trial conducted to demonstrate the efficacy of the Adherus Dural Sealant for FDA approval. The Adherus Dural Sealant was compared with the control, DuraSeal Dural Sealant. It was applied to...

Surgery or medicine: when should we stop trying to be conservative?

Although most otolaryngologists would agree that surgery improves the outcomes of patients with CRS when medical treatment has failed, both Cochrane reviews state that there is no proof of improved efficacy of surgery over medicine – however, that was after...

Money saving using CAD-CAM in mandibular reconstruction

CAD-CAM (computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing) is an exciting field in the functional and accurate reconstruction of oral cavity defects. This is a prospective study from Italy based on data from 20 consecutive mandibular reconstructions from 2011 to...

Benefits of combined antiviral and corticosteroid therapy in Bell’s palsy and the role of decompression surgery

Early use of steroids has been established as standard management in Bell’s palsy but simultaneous use of antiviral agents has variable acceptance. This review article analyses statistically based evidence to settle the issue. High quality evidence from a 2009 Cochrane...

Bilateral medialisation thyroplasty for presbylaryngis

This retrospective case series explores the voice outcomes for 21 patients diagnosed with presbylaryngis who underwent bilateral medialisation thyroplasty at a university medical centre in Portland, Oregon, USA. Silastic was implanted in 17 patients; hydroxyapatite in four. Significant improvements were...

People with dementia and their families want to see speech and language therapists!

Language and communication difficulties are common in Alzheimer’s disease and, of course, language-led dementia (primary progressive aphasia). Communication difficulties are highlighted as one of the biggest burdens for family members caring for loved ones with dementia. This is often associated...