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Virtual reality: the future of surgical training

The evolution of surgical education Surgical training has traditionally been rooted in cadaveric dissection, hands-on apprenticeships and theoretical learning through lectures and textbooks. For centuries, aspiring surgeons refined their skills through a structured process of observation, practice and mentorship. The...

Role of cochlear implants in the management of incapacitating tinnitus in patients with unilateral hearing loss

This is an interesting paper on patients with unilateral hearing loss and incapacitating tinnitus. The present study was conducted on 23 patients who had a cochlear implant for unilateral hearing loss including patients with single sided deafness (SSD). Most of...

Which bone conduction implant (BCI) device to use?

Bone conduction implants (BCI) are alternatives when the use and benefit of conventional, prosthetic equipment is limited or contraindicated in patients who suffer from conductive, mixed and single-sided deafness. They are broadly divided into two main groups delivering vibration directly...

Velopharyngeal insufficiency after adenotonsillectomy

The authors retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 320 paediatric patients who underwent either tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy, under a single paediatric ENT surgeon. Patients with pre-existing velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) were excluded, as assessed by preoperative testing for nasal air...

Peritonsillar abscess - an indication for tonsillectomy?

Extension of infection beyond the tonsil results in a peritonsillar abscess and is a frequent emergency presentation in otolaryngology. In many places one episode of peritonsillar abscess is not considered an indication for emergency or interval tonsillectomy and future episodes...

Lingual tonsils and obstrucive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS)

Obstructive sleep apnoea can be due to narrowing of the retrolingual space by hypertrophic lingual tonsils. The authors studied 11 patients (five males and six females with a mean age of 44.3 years and a mean BMI of 28.6). All...

Earlier intervention to correct anosmia?

This is an interesting study aimed to determine the timing for successful surgical intervention in improving the sense of smell in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). A total of 86 CRSwNP patients with loss of smell and...

The impact of bilateral implantation on language outcomes

An American study retrospectively looked at the language outcomes of 204 children implanted either bilaterally, sequentially or unilaterally. All children received their first implant before the age of three years, and language measures were collected when the children were aged...

Indication and timing of electrodiagnostic tests in facial palsy

This excellent review describes the benefits and limitations of electrodiagnostic testing for patients with facial paralysis. Tests such as Schirmer, stapedial reflex and electrogustometry have been largely replaced by neurophysiologic tests like nerve excitability test (NET), electroneuronography (ENoG), surface electromyography...

Say what you don’t mean: cognitive difficulties in Parkinson’s can worsen intelligibility

Hypokinetic dysarthria, seen in 70–90% of people with Parkinson’s, causes reduced range of movement during speech production, reduced volume, rate, pitch and intelligibility. This study aimed to explore the role of higher cognitive function in speech production by asking 20...