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How much does FESS improve the sense of smell?

We are all familiar with patients who undergo a seemingly successful FESS but, in spite of this, have persistent smell dysfunction postoperatively. This study compares a surgical group with a control group, measuring olfactory function pre and postoperatively using Sniffin...

Balloon dilatation is an effective adjunct

This is a good study design, sufficiently powered, comparing medical management to balloon sinus dilatation. All patients had failed medical management and were thoroughly assessed preoperatively with Lund-Mackay score confirming abnormal CT findings, SNOT 20 index score, chronic sinusitis score...

Septal surgery made easy?

The injecting of the greater palatine canal has been documented for some time. The authors in this paper expand this to the more common procedure of the septoplasty. They summarise the pros and cons published regarding the technique in sinus...

Long-term results of incus vibroplasty in patients with moderate-to-severe sensorineural hearing loss

The Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) middle ear implant is now a well-accepted and widely utilised treatment option for patients with sensorineural hearing loss unable to use standard hearing aids. However, as a relatively recent addition to the portfolio of implants available...

Can SNOT-22 predict the need for surgery?

In this prospective Belgian study, the authors looked at whether the baseline Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) was able to predict the need for surgery and localise the pathology of rhinology patients and healthy volunteers. A total of 66 healthy volunteers...

Sex and the Nose

For regular attentive readers of our little magazine, JRY will need no introduction. The word ‘polymath’ barely does him justice: a Colonel in the Medical Corps with an MPhil in poetry and apparently one of the “50 coolest people in...

Eustachian tube function before and after FESS

This is a prospective study from the UK looking at Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) undergoing surgery. Fifty-seven consecutive patients who had failed medical therapy and were scheduled for endoscopic sinus surgery completed SNOT-22 and...

Outpatient closure of CSF leaks: a good idea or a step too far?

After day-case septoplasty, day case thyroidectomy, now day case CSF leak repair – has the pendulum moved too far? The authors put forward a convincing case for what, only 10 years ago, would have sounded like a provocation. They quote...

Otoplasty equals happiness

There are frequent criticisms of procedures that are viewed as cosmetic therefore of no benefit to health. Here a German group have looked at the benefit of otoplasty on quality of life. They point out that ‘beautiful people have an...

Prominauris: Which surgical technique to use?

Otoplasty accounted for 3.2% of all plastic surgical interventions, and 2.6% worldwide in 2015. Patient satisfaction ranges above 95% for prominent ear correction despite the myriad of available techniques in the literature associated with highly variable outcomes. The authors split...

Antibiotics in orthognathic surgery

This paper from the Netherlands looked at 137 patients over a one-year period, 18 of whom had Le Fort I procedures, 68 bilateral sagittal split surgery, and 51 bi-maxillary surgery. A further 54 surgical procedures were undertaken, including 15 having...