It is well recognised that radical chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for head and neck cancers can significantly affect swallowing, especially if radiotherapy is delivered to the hypopharynx and/or both sides of the neck. As such, prophylactic gastrostomy tubes are often advocated in...
So it has finally happened. I have reached that stage of reactionary bewilderment known as middle age. As well having my finger nowhere near the pulse of contemporary culture, I am finding the siren charms of BBC Radio 2 and...
The issue of ambient music in the operating theatre is frequently controversial and has been known to cause ‘Bluetooth wars’, as different team members vie for control of the speakers. Our own Chris Potter gives his personal slant on this...
Professor Michal Luntz is an Otologist and Cochlear Implant Surgeon, and Director of the Ear and Hearing Center in A.R.M, Assuta Tel Aviv, Israel. We caught up with her to hear about her life, her background, and her unique insight...
Historia Otorhinolaryngologia is the ultimate coffee table book for any otolaryngologist. Underneath its elegant cover, there are hundreds of fascinating pictures to flick through, ranging from ancient texts and religious icons to historic specimens and photographs. However, on closer inspection...
The absence of sufficient evidence for the use of integrated sound generators for the management of tinnitus led the authors to conduct a randomised blind clinical trial in which they compared the use of a conventional hearing aid with a...
This is the first cost effectiveness modelling study looking at the three main treatment options for small to medium sized vestibular schwannomas. This study uses the widely accepted cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY) outcome measure to evaluate three...
This is a paper from Singapore where they attempted to validate the position of the maxilla in the sagittal plane against several reference lines arising from the position of the forehead in orthognathic surgery. The position of the maxilla was...
The recent rise in HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma is well described. There has been a significant shift from tobacco-driven to virus-driven cancers at this anatomical site. This retrospective study analysed US tumour registry data over a long period (1973–2009)...
The Temporal Bone: Anatomical Dissection and Surgical Approaches does exactly what it says on the tin. It is an excellent combination of anatomical atlas and dissection manual for temporal bone surgical procedures, designed to be kept open at the benchside...
Several years ago, after being appointed as a consultant, my esteemed senior colleague entered my office and questioned why I was reading a textbook at that stage of my career, suggesting that I should be focusing solely on journals. Whilst...
Swallowing disorders in children are increasingly common due to advances in medical care allowing them to survive prematurity or complex health conditions. Careful assessment of eating and drinking is necessary to ensure that children are managed both safely and with...