Journal Reviews
A new hope for post-COVID olfactory loss?
Does anyone remember COVID? It seems that what happened between 2019 and 2021 is all but forgotten about. Aside from it cropping up on news feeds occasionally and a few out-of-date automated phone messages that start off with ‘During the...
A new idea for olfactory recovery, but not the evidence to support it
Smell training for olfactory loss of all types is a well-recognised treatment, and the typical regimen of rose, clove, lemon and eucalyptus is frequently used. This study looks to compare using eight essences rather than four to see if this...
Small but significant
These authors try to circumnavigate the conundrum of what is influenced by what. For something so small, the impact of the Stria Vascularis cannot be understated. The difficulty in reviewing the influence of loop diuretics or aminoglycosides on the Stria...
A twitch in time with a flicker of knowledge
The middle ear muscles can be seen as one of the ear’s safety mechanisms, and the interplay between eyes and ears has been established; think vestibular ocular reflex (VOR) or semi-circular canal dehiscence (SCCD). But can this protective mechanism be...
How to manage the cheek in gender affirming surgery
This publication discusses cheek augmentation surgery related to gender-affirming facial surgery. The publication describes the difference between the common male cheek anatomy and the desired ideal feminine appearance and how to achieve it. In the author’s experience, gender-affirming surgery patients...
Facial reanimation dynamic trends
Facial nerve paralysis leads to functional loss and aesthetic issues. Several techniques are used to restore function and to improve cosmesis. The gold standard is dynamic facial reanimation. Typically, the masseteric, hypoglossal, and contralateral facial nerve branches have been used...
Indication and timing of electrodiagnostic tests in facial palsy
This excellent review describes the benefits and limitations of electrodiagnostic testing for patients with facial paralysis. Tests such as Schirmer, stapedial reflex and electrogustometry have been largely replaced by neurophysiologic tests like nerve excitability test (NET), electroneuronography (ENoG), surface electromyography...
Exciting advances in facial reanimation
Despite several techniques for reanimation after facial paralysis, the management of these patients continues to challenge us. This paper reviews advances in facial reanimation surgery, provides updates on the timing of intervention, modifications to the traditional gracilis muscle transfer, other...
Why do some people get their smell back so quickly after a COVID infection whilst others don’t?
Of course, we are all too familiar with the effect that COVID-19 infection has on our sense of taste and smell, but why do most patients get better whilst, for many, the misery lingers on and on? This paper looks...
Serum biomarkers for CRSwNP
This cross-sectional comparative study looked at 50 patients with nasal polyps who, at the time of diagnosis, also had a blood test evaluating serum total IgE, IL-17 and Pentraxin-3. The study assesses whether these blood markers are useful in the...
Automated contouring of costal cartilage for pinna reconstruction – a proof of concept
Presently there are limited applications of automation within operative ENT. This proof-of-concept study explores the use of an augmented robot to contour cadaveric costal cartilage for auricular reconstruction. Ordinarily this task is performed manually. This takes considerable time due to...
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...
