Search

Patient reported outcomes following total laryngectomy using the Swallowing Outcomes After Laryngectomy (SOAL) questionnaire

Following a total laryngectomy, alterations in the pharyngeal musculature and changes in the pharyngo-oesophageal segment due to reconstruction, results in altered bolus transit. Swallowing dysfunction after total laryngectomy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma can vary from 10%-90%. There...

How do objective ratings of swallowing compare with patient-reported dysphagia QOL measures in the head and neck cancer population?

Swallowing may be assessed by a comprehensive battery of tools including instrumental/objective assessments, clinician-rated measures and patient-reported measures. The authors of this paper use secondary analysis to explore concordance between videofluoroscopy and a patient-reported dysphagia quality of life (QOL) measure....

Can diet alone be used to treat laryngopharyngeal reflux?

In this crossover observational study, a low-fat, low-quick-release sugar, high-protein, alkaline, and plant-based diet was investigated as a single treatment for laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). Authors recruited 50 participants with demonstrated LPR on hypopharyngeal-oesophageal multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH-monitoring (HEMII-pH), off acid suppressive...

How well do different assessments of swallowing correlate with one another?

Swallowing (dys)function may be assessed by three key measures: 1. instrumental swallowing techniques such as the modified barium swallow (MBS) or videofluoroscopy; 2. functional measures of diet texture that patients can eat comfortably (usually rated by the clinician); and 3....

Is it necessary to put ventilation tubes at the time of surgery in children with cleft palate?

It is commonly understood that existence of a palatal cleft is associated with abnormal action of tensor veli palatini muscle. Frequent middle ear effusions therefore occur because this muscle obstructs rather than opens the Eustachian tube on yawning and swallowing,...

Diurnal and monthly variations in secondary post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage rates

Several studies have looked into variable haemorrhagic rates with different methods of surgery and clinical backgrounds. Few have looked into non-clinical factors such as environment and diurnal influence on occurrence of post-tonsillectomy bleeding. This extensive study comprises 5357 tonsillectomy patients...

Hearing loss in the young and self-esteem

How can those involved in the care of children with hearing loss identify those at risk of low self-esteem? This study provides some guidance. Overall differences from hearing peers in terms of communication skills, physical appearance and social maturity place...

Enhanced recovery following surgery for head and neck cancer – the current evidence

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programmes are now well established in many surgical specialities as a means of reducing postoperative complications and length of stay in hospital. Whilst many head and neck teams have interventions used to aid postoperative recovery,...

Sinus airflow after FESS using models and fluid dynamics

This is a very interesting study from Australia and New Zealand looking at flow of air into the nose and sinuses after FESS surgery. There is plenty of data regarding computational fluid dynamics for preoperative cases but not much for...

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...

Management of the neck in maxillary sinus carcinomas

Primary malignant tumours of the sinonasal tract account for less than 10% of head and neck cancers, of which the maxilla is the second most common subsite and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most prevalent histological type. Maxillary SCCs...