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Association between depression and survival in patients with head and neck cancer

Approximately 40% of patients develop major depressive disorder (MDD) during diagnosis and treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC). Depressive symptoms in these patients have a significant effect on their rehabilitation and survival. Given the small number of studies in...

Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder

This is a concise summary of auditory neuropathy and current knowledge of the disorder through review of a recently published article. The terminology of this hearing disorder implies the site of the lesion is neural; however the characteristic electrophysical signature...

Righting the paralysed lip

Many surgical procedures that otolaryngologists perform put the facial nerve at risk of injury, a complication that the surgeon and patient fear alike. Unfortunately, injuries to the nerve can and do happen despite adequate precautions, and facial paralysis may be...

Outcome measures for hearing loss

This short editorial explores some possible options in measurement of quality of care in audiology. We traditionally tend to use clinician-related outcomes in place of patient-reported outcome measures and so we could miss a wealth of data on the impact...

Four lessons: the development of speech and language therapy research for people with dementia care

Dementia has been described as the biggest expanded caseload for speech and language therapists. Everyone with dementia experiences communication difficulties. The late Prof Audrey Holland revolutionised the work of speech-language pathologists in this field through four key lessons. Lesson 1:...

Should we leave a reconstructed auricle exposed?

Microtia results in psychological and functional morbidity and total auricle reconstruction offers the affected individual a more cosmetically pleasing ear. The art of dressing postoperatively can be heterogenous between surgeons. This single-centre retrospective study based in China compared complication rate...

Use of tranexamic acid in ENT surgery

Postoperative bleeding in otolaryngologic procedures causes delayed discharge, requires re-admission and adds considerably to the cost of patient care. Whether the anti-fibrinolytic activity of tranexamic acid should be used routinely to prevent haemorrhagic complications after ENT operations is speculation but...

Techniques in Facial Plastic Surgery: Discussion and Debate part 2

This edition of this popular journal is dedicated to ‘panel discussion’ on some of the most common controversies associated with ‘bread and butter’ facial aesthetic procedures. The procedures included are relevant and the aspects discussed are of practical importance to...

Update on cholesteatoma

Surgery for cholesteatoma should be tailored to individual patients, considering patient and disease factors, to obtain a dry, safe and functional ear. In this article, the authors discuss the current definitions and classification system of middle ear cholesteatoma, as well...

Saddle nose deformity repair – structured approach

We often come across saddle noses in our specialist rhinology clinics. The saddle nose deformity represents collapse of the cartilaginous and / or bony nasal support structures resulting in dorsal height loss. Acquired cases are due to trauma or surgery...