Search

Is there hope of hearing for postmeningitic patients deemed unsuitable for a cochlear implant?

Rehabilitation of patients with profound hearing loss deemed unsuitable for cochlear implants is challenging. An auditory brainstem implant (ABI) is a viable option for these patients. This paper evaluates auditory and speech perception outcome measures following ABI in 10 postmeningitic...

What works better for type 3 tympanoplasty?

This is a systematic review comparing incus transposition (IT) and partial ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP). There is a total of 14 articles, obtaining 1055 patients: 614 for the IT group and 441 for the PORP group. All included patients had...

Does surgery work for acquired stenosis of the ear canal in the long term?

The surgical treatment of acquired post-inflammatory atresia of the external auditory canal (EAC), namely meatoplasty, is challenging with variable long-term outcome. This study looked at the clinical, audiological data, long-term outcome and patient satisfaction after performing meatoplasty. Sixteen patients were...

Balloon compared to FESS – long-term patient satisfaction

Balloon compared to FESS – long-term patient satisfaction This paper is the first controlled study of balloon sinoplasty’s long-term efficacy, with a follow-up extending over five years. There were 208 patients analysed and 88 recruited. Exclusions were nasal polyps grade...

Can obstructive snoring affect the snorer’s ears as well?

Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) often show severe nasal obstruction, chronic sinusitis and/or a deficit of nasal mucociliary clearance with nasopharyngeal stagnation of secretions possibly predisposing to eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). This clinical prospective study investigates ETD, nasal resistance...

Is combined two wall decompression approach a better surgical outcome for Grave’s orbitopathy?

This retrospective study looked at the outcome of endoscopic medial wall combined with transcutaneous lateral orbital wall decompression in Graves’ orbitopathy. The following parameters were studied: reduction in proptosis; change in visual acuity and diplopia. A total of 36 orbits...

Does endoscopic tympanoplasty give better results than a conventional approach?

This is a retrospective review looking at two groups of patients who had undergone middle ear surgery for chronic otitis media (perforation, retraction pocket/cholesteatoma) either open or endoscopic. Four hundred and five patients underwent open ear surgery and 501 endoscopic,...

Should intratympanic steroids be the first line treatment for sudden sensorineural hearing loss?

This article looked at whether intratympanic steroids (ITS) provide more benefits over systemic steroid therapy (SST) as initial therapy in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL). This meta-analysis study, based on published RCTs, concluded that ITS treatment exhibited...

Percutaneous tracheostomy in anticoagulated patients

This Belgian study looked at the risks and complications of bedside percutaneous tracheostomy in patients who received anticoagulant therapy. The 231 tracheostomies included in the study were performed over an eight-year period by two otolaryngologists using bronchoscopic guidance. The mean...

A new tool for assessing otoscopy skills

Medical and audiology students need to be proficient in performing otoscopy in order to undertake the routine practice required of them at work upon graduation. One significant challenge in teaching otoscopy is the lack of objective and validated assessment tools...