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Head and neck high dependency unit - an alternative to ITU?

Close observation of the airway is a primary requirement for patients undergoing major head and neck surgery. It is also necessary for patients with upper airway infection and trauma. Wound care, drains, feeding and analgesia also require specific attention. Whilst...

Removing nasal polyps assists with sleep

This small Scandinavian study looked at sleep quality in patients with CRS and nasal polyposis and whether this is improved by surgery, rated by questionnaires. A cohort of 42 Swedish patients in 2013-14 filled out four different validated sleep and...

Does endoscopic stapling for pharyngeal pouch supersede open repair?

Endoscopic stapling for pharyngeal pouch is generally considered to be less invasive, safe and with fewer complications, resulting in quicker recovery and a shorter hospital stay. Whether these factors hold in the long-term follow-up is the subject of this interesting...

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...

Patients with advanced oral cavity carcinoma are not candidates for the ‘organ preservation’ approach

The authors of this study, from the University of Michigan, evaluated the role of induction chemotherapy for patients with stages III and IV resectable oral squamous cell carcinoma. Nineteen patients were initially enrolled in the induction chemotherapy cohort. Patients with...

Outcomes following endoscopic vs. microscopic ossiculoplasty

Endoscopic ear surgery continues to increase in popularity with an expanding range of applications in otology. The variety of angled scopes allow for superior visualisation of the surgical field and difficult to reach areas. However, use of endoscopes reduce the...

Factor favouring the need for revision FESS in chronic sinusitis with polyps – a multivariate analysis including phenotypes

Chronic rhinosinusitis with polyposis is a type 2 inflammation with risks of recurrence and need for revision operations. This is known to depend on the endotype and phenotype factors. This is a retrospective study of 212 patients. Of these, 112...

Transoral laser microsurgery (TLM)

This review article describes the surgical technique of transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) for the piecemeal removal of tumours of the upper aerodigestive tract using carbon dioxide laser. This technique gained acceptance after Wolfgang Steiner published his paper on the treatment...

The association between pregnancy and otosclerosis could be due to psychosocial factors around parenthood rather than biological factors

The association between pregnancy and otosclerosis is controversial. If pregnancy physiologically increases the likelihood of otosclerosis progression, then one would expect that there would be a difference between male and female patients with regards to whether having children affects how...

Safety recommendations for ENT surgeons during the COVID-19 pandemic

Physicians and other healthcare workers who perform and participate in examinations and procedures within the head and neck region and airway are at particularly high risk of exposure and infection from aerosol and droplet contamination. Authors have developed recommendations to...