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Operate, Operate, Operate! A young surgeon in the 1970s

The book is a memoir of Douglas MacMillan’s experiences as a young surgeon in the 1970s. MacMillan describes his journey from medical school to training and becoming a consultant ENT surgeon. He shares stories about his challenges as a young...

Reduce medical errors by improving communication: supporting vulnerable people

This article starts by emphasising that communication failures are a fairly common cause of medical errors. They highlight that people with dysarthria can experience significant communication difficulties and are at particular risk of this type of breakdown in care. People...

Should we do oesophagoscopy during panendoscopy?

Panendoscopy entails a complete evaluation of the upper aerodigestive tract, and consists of oral inspection, direct laryngoscopy, bronchoscopy, oesophagoscopy, or some combination of these procedures. Despite many advances in imaging over the years, a skilled surgeon’s eyes remain superior in...

SpeechEasy® for stuttering

In this article, the authors describe their experiences with an altered auditory feedback (AAF) device: SpeechEasy® during a random clinical trial. AAF has been reported in other laboratory studies to reduce stuttering events without influencing the rate, intensity or frequency...

Quality of life measurement tools in children with speech and language difficulties

The authors of this paper reviewed various quality of life measurement tools which are used to assess the effects of speech and language difficulties in children and adolescents. Measuring quality of life outcomes in children with these difficulties is not...

Lack of early vocabulary growth in bilateral cochlear implant children

Studies indicate that children with unilateral implantation may have delayed vocabulary development for long periods of time even after implantation. This Finnish study attempted to find out whether bilateral cochlear implantation was associated with earlier vocabulary development. The authors analysed...

Is epistaxis affected by the weather?

In this Bosnian study, the authors attempted to determine if air pressure, temperature and humidity had any effect on idiopathic epistaxis. The study took place over a three-year period and included 300 patients. A comparison was performed of meteorological data...

Perception of verticality during attacks of Ménière’s

Ménière’s disease (MD) affects the cochlea and all peripheral vestibular receptors. The perception of verticality, a function of the utricle, is evaluated by the subjective visual vertical (SVV) test. The authors studied SVV in two groups of MD patients: a)...

Do anticoagulanis and facial plastic surgery mix?

Some surgeons think that antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapies (aspirin, warfarin sodium and clopidogrel bisulphate) increase perioperative bleeding and infections. However, the current evidence base provides conflicting data with respect to the risk of true complications. In this case-control study a...

Is there time for intraoperative scans?

Intraoperative imaging plays an integral role in orthopaedic surgery during the repair of long-bone fracture. Given the complexity of the facial skeleton, intraoperative imaging has the potential for similar benefits in reconstructive surgery. The objectives of the study were to...

Primary ossicular chain reconstruction in open-cavity mastoidectomy

The authors performed a retrospective analysis of 21 patients who had undergone primary reconstruction of the ossicular chain during canal-wall-down mastoidectomy. The ossiculoplasty technique used consisted of removal of the malleus head and division of tensor tympani, and rotation of...