ENT features
From patient to performer
Peter Cawrey lives in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, with his wife Dorothy. He had a salvage laryngectomy for squamous cell carcinoma in 2015, three years following his initial radiotherapy. Due to complications and a complex recovery, he has elected not to have...
Gender-affirming voice surgery
Professor Ahmed Geneid is a laryngologist and phoniatrician at Helsinki University Hospital and a founding member of the International Association of TransVoice Surgeons. Here, he presents the intricacies and nuances of gender-affirming voice surgery after own hospital’s 30 years of...
Being a doctor abroad – comparing the Greek healthcare system with the NHS
Healthcare systems and training programmes vary significantly across the world. By learning about other healthcare systems, we can identify blind spots in our own system and continue to improve training. Sofia Anastasiadou, an ENT Registrar in South West England, describes...
Hunting for the zorse - hybrid learning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
Emma Watts, a West Midlands ENT Registrar and Digital Fellow, gives a witty and concise recollection of ENT training during COVID, and predicts how hybrid learning may be here to stay. *A zorse is the offspring of a zebra stallion...
Roshna Rose Paul: interview between trainee and senior surgeon
Professor Paul has been heavily involved with training and educating multiple cohorts of ENT trainees over the years, since 2010. In this article, Mr Reid (a current ENT registrar from the West Midlands) picks her brains. Prof Roshna Rose Paul....
The impact of simulation on ENT training
Surgical training is constantly developing to improve ENT surgeons’ technical and non-technical skills. In this article, Joshua Whittaker, an ENT Registrar and ENT Simulation Fellow at University Hospitals Birmingham, describes the rise of simulation training. Simulation is the recreation of...
Insight into an Indian-trained ENT specialist working in the UK
With international fellowships becoming more commonplace for gaining subspecialty experience, the authors describe the pros and cons of a UK fellowship and summarise the differences they have noticed in training and clinical practice between India and the UK. Otorhinolaryngology, or...
Destination unknown
We as doctors do not always know the answer. Associate Professor Jacqueline Allen guides us through the importance of acceptance of this uncertainty and its complex mental journey. She highlights that, as clinicians, we must embrace the unknown and be...
Gastric inlet patch – an under-diagnosed cause of globus
A gastric inlet patch (GIP) is an island of heterotopic gastric mucosa found commonly in the proximal oesophagus just below the upper oesophageal sphincter. It is often underdiagnosed due to its location. Its importance and clinical relevance can be underestimated...
Muscle tension dysphagia: an underdiagnosed problem
In this article, the authors introduce the description of swallowing problems which have been recently attributed to muscle tension dysphagia (MTDg). The authors are clear that this is a diagnosis of exclusion, and it is important to rule out other...
Dysphagia in complex laryngology – maintaining the balance
These authors from the speech and language therapy department at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, describe their view of a patient-centred approach to managing dysphagia in complex laryngology. Careful consideration of the balance of airway, voice and swallow, which is...
Old age is hard to swallow
This article takes us through the diagnosis and management of swallowing problems common in older age. As our global population continues to grow and live longer, dysphagia will continue to be a global problem which needs to be recognised, understood...
