Journal Reviews
Rosemary oil to aid surgical healing?
There are a multitude of ways in which to damage the nasal epithelium, whether iatrogenically through nasal surgery, via injury, allergy, infection or inhalation of an environmental pollutant. This study looks at the role of the herb rosemary, in the...
An effective treatment for post Covid-19 smell loss?
It is well understood that calcium levels in the nasal mucous affect the ability to smell, with higher levels having a negative impact, and some studies have shown increased calcium levels in patients suffering with Covid-19-related olfactory dysfunction. Calcium chelating...
Long-term results for dupilumab are very promising!
Eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (eCRS) is complicated by frequent early and aggressive recurrence of polyps after both medical and surgical treatment regimes. Dupilumab is an anti-IL-4/IL-3 receptor monoclonal antibody and has been previously studied in the SINUS-52 study, with an observation...
Is GERD linked to CRS?
We are all well aware that both chronic rhinosinusitis and reflux are prevalent in our populations. This meta-analysis looked at 25 studies investigating the association between GERD, LPR and CRS, therefore evaluating more than 117,000 patients. The results are fascinating...
Balloon dilatation of the eustachian tube - largely very safe but not entirely without risk
Consent is a fundamental part of our daily working lives. This is something as simple as consent to examine a patient, consent to undertake a procedure as minor as taking blood, through to consent for a major operation. Whatever the...
A new treatment for smell loss?
It has been well established that smell training can be effective in the recovery of smell function post Covid-19 infection, and many other treatment modalities have been assessed. There have been limited studies to date evaluating the effects of dietary...
Painful temporomandibular joints
This paper is a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials comparing arthrocentesis with conservative management in painful and restricted mouth opening temporomandibular joint symptoms. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction comprises a spectrum of disorders commonly involving facial pain and loss of oral function...
More aggressive FESS for recalcitrant CRS is the key
This is an interesting paper assessing the effectiveness of endoscopic modified medial maxillectomy (MMM) in cases of recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), (the technique was also used for tumours, cystic fibrosis, FB, odontogenic disease and AFS) in 551 patients. The technique...
Technique for benign tumours in the tail of the parotid gland
This is a retrospective study of 89 patients from China, 49 of whom were treated surgically by a partial superficial parotidectomy through retrograde approach, and 40 treated as an extracapsular dissection for benign tumours of the tail of the parotid...
Day case orthognathic surgery
This paper analyses whether patient safety is maintained when orthognathic surgery is performed as an outpatient. This Swedish paper reviewed 165 patients, 107 of whom were to have what was termed outpatient care, and of which 101 (94%) were able...
Do adhesions actually cause nasal blockage?
All of us who perform nasal surgery are familiar with the disappointing presence of nasal adhesions (NA) or synechiae in our postop patients. These can often lead to patients deriving less perceived benefit from their surgery than that which they...
The future of biologics?
This paper takes a deep dive into how eosinophilia affects the responsiveness of the host to the two monoclonal antibodies mepolizumab and bendralizumab, both of which are active against IL5. We know that eosinophils are attracted and trapped into the...
