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Are there benefits of prophylactic swallowing exercises for patients with head and neck cancer?

This randomised controlled trial aimed to establish the impact of prophylactic swallowing exercises in patients undergoing chemoradiation therapy for head and neck cancer. The primary outcome was the functional oral intake scale (FOIS), although secondary measures for feeding tube use,...

Commercial desiccants or uncooked rice?

Moisture can damage any electronic devices including hearing aids. It is commonly known that rice can ‘rescue’ an electronic device if wetted. Authors of the below-described study researched whether uncooked rice could be used as an efficient equivalent to often...

Technology at the right time in the right place for people with communication difficulties

The ‘just-in-time’ (JIT) construct was developed as a business strategy for a major Japanese car company in the 1970s. It has now been applied to many other business models throughout the world. The JIT concept is where something is provided,...

Can and should vestibular schwannoma surgery be carried out via the endoscopic transcanal approach?

The extent and scope of endoscopic ear surgery has rapidly progressed in recent years, and this paper, from one of the leading proponents of this technique, reports on the outcomes of a case series of patients who have had total...

Gastrostomy tube dependence following TORS

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is now a well-established treatment modality for early (T1-T2) disease. Accumulating evidence suggests that one of its main benefits relative to conventional chemoradiotherapy is superior long-term functional outcome, especially with...

Does endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis improve COPD?

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) can be associated with asthma, with a reported frequency of asthma in patients with CRS of up to 44%. COPD is another lung condition that can be associated with CRS. This longitudinal study reviewed the nasal and...

The push towards scarless parotid surgery

When dealing with benign parotid pathology, high expectations are placed on the operating surgeon to preserve key neurovascular structures, especially the animating facial nerve, through meticulous dissection. With time, there has been a greater emphasis on improving cosmesis in parotid...

Environmental sounds matter too

Individuals with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) frequently report major listening difficulties despite hearing thresholds that may not fully explain their functional impairment. Most audiological assessment batteries focus heavily on speech perception, yet this paper argues that environmental sound perception...

Can the threshold for drain removal after selective lateral neck dissection be safely raised to an output volume of less than 100 mL in a 24-hour period?

Closed-suction drains are routinely used by most head and neck surgeons after selective lateral neck dissections (SLNDs). A recent survey of more than 360 head and neck surgeons found that more than 60% use a criterion of less than 30...

Sandlin’s Textbook of Hearing Aid Amplification: Technical and Clinical Considerations – Third Edition

This textbook is intended for graduate clinicians and scientists in audiology. It covers a broad range of topics over 20 chapters written by clinical and technical experts, most of whom are based in the US and Denmark, and the book...

‘Dead ear’ after mastoid surgery

The primary aim of surgery in the management of cholesteatoma is eradication of the disease which can potentially result in serious complications such as intracranial extension, facial nerve weakness and further hearing loss. A profound hearing loss resulting postoperatively considerably...