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The HEARO Procedure for cochlear implantation

Cochlear implants have become the state-of-the-art treatment for profound to severe sensorineural hearing loss. Since its popularisation, many aspects of this technology have constantly been optimised. Processors have become smaller, are worn behind the ear and are even water resistant....

Does diet have a role in the prevention of tinnitus?

Tinnitus, diet and healthy ageing Despite the high prevalence of tinnitus, its exact aetiology remains unclear. Research has explored the role of various biological pathways in the development of tinnitus including age-related changes in the auditory system, impaired vascular function,...

What can be done to encourage training doctors to pursue a career in paediatric ENT?

Paediatric ENT is often considered the ‘Cinderella’ subspeciality within otolaryngology. There are efforts in the UK and overseas to redress the balance. Paediatric ENT is a specialised field that addresses the unique needs of children with otolaryngological disorders. Despite its...

Innovating around access to hearing services during the pandemic

COVID-19 has also presented its challenges to hearing healthcare providers and to the industry and, similarly, called for innovation and creativity. Dr Bromwich describes how these sectors are rising to the challenge. The reality of COVID-19 has been a challenging...

Endolymphatic sac surgery: controversial procedure for the treatment of Ménière’s disease

Landmark Paper: Thomsen J, Bretlau P, Tos M, Johnsen NJ. Ménière’s disease: endolymphatic sac decompression compared with sham (placebo) decompression. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1981;374:820-30. Of all of the chapters in the Landmark Papers book, the chapter that discussed...

Dysphagia in complex laryngology – maintaining the balance

These authors from the speech and language therapy department at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, describe their view of a patient-centred approach to managing dysphagia in complex laryngology. Careful consideration of the balance of airway, voice and swallow, which is...

Monstrous craws and horrid butchery: a concise history of thyroid surgery

Prior to the foundation of our speciality, thyroid surgery had a dubious reputation and universally dismal outcomes. Jenny Walton casts a critical eye over this dark chapter. Diseases of the thyroid gland have been referenced in historic texts for well...

The search for pharmacological treatments for hearing loss and tinnitus

Where are we in our search for a hearing restoration grail? Nicola Robas leads us through the map pieces discovered in creating a pharmaceutical answer to hearing loss and tinnitus. Together, hearing loss and tinnitus affect over one in six...

Otoacoustic emissions in the diagnostic test battery for hearing loss

So, they are great for screening, but how can otoacoustic emissions be integrated into the diagnostic test battery? Beth Prieve examines the role of diagnostic OAEs by asking three simple questions. Audiologists and otolaryngologists are familiar with otoacoustic emissions (OAEs)...

American Thyroid Association Thyroid Cancer Management Guidelines: utilising risk stratification to optimise patient care

The steep rise in thyroid surgery around the globe, has led to the development of risk stratification to define the indications for surgery and the extent of surgery as well as adjuvant therapies for papillary carcinoma, to avoid over treatment....

Optical cochlear implants: recent progress toward light-based hearing restoration

Optical cochlear implants combine optogenetics and light-based hardware to overcome limits of electrical CIs, promising sharper frequency resolution and more natural hearing. Cochlear implants (CIs) are among the most successful neuroprosthetic devices in modern medicine, restoring speech perception to hundreds...