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Immunotherapy – could it be cheaper?

Immunotherapy is the only treatment for allergy to alter the disease course. Limited data exist on direct and indirect costs of subcutaneous (SCIT) and sublingual (SLIT) immunotherapy in America. This article assesses the cost effectiveness worldwide of the two immunotherapies....

Surgical management of permanent facial paralysis

This article explores the management of flaccid facial palsy focusing on weakness less than one to two years’ duration. As a general rule, primary nerve repair produces the best outcome and should be performed where possible. For long-standing paralysis of...

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...

Management of postoperative cholesteatoma

This prospective longitudinal observational study compared the ability of second-look surgery with that of surveillance using serial non-echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging to detect residual cholesteatoma after canal wall-up mastoidectomy. A total of 34 patients were included in the study who underwent...

Cochlear implantation in the over 85s

An ageing population globally, means that the individuals of some countries are now living longer and, as hearing loss is commonly associated with the elderly, there will be more elderly people eligible for cochlear implantation. Hearing loss itself is associated...

Long-term effectiveness of sleep surgery for obstructive sleep apnoea

n this study, 39 patients from Turkey with obstructive sleep apnoea (of varying severity) underwent an expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty. This operation was devised by Prof Kenny Pang in Singapore and involves using the palatopharyngeus muscle and partly relocating it laterally...

Cochlear implants in the over 80s

The UK has an ageing population. Seven percent of the over 80s population have bilateral severe to profound hearing loss which can lead to associated negative outcomes (social isolation, depression and reduced quality of life). Cochlear implantation (CI) can successfully...

Connecting healthcare

In recent years, there has been a definite shift toward the acceptance and use of smartphone technology in the delivery of healthcare. Within the fields of ENT and audiology, there is considerable appeal in the portability, simplicity, affordability, and connectivity...