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Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise

Our irrepressible Features Editor, Chris Potter, explores the limits of ignorance. I’m not sure about you, but I seem to exist in a sea of incompetence and ignorance, constantly surrounded by amateurish chumps and feckless underachievers. Now, a lesser man...

Temporoparietal fascia flap for blind sac closure

Chronic ear disease can be challenging to manage and difficult for patients to live with. In this article, the authors describe their technique for otomastoid obliteration and blind sac closure of the external canal allowing for a more tolerable situation...

Hyposalivation: a review of current and future treatments

Hyposalivation remains a stubbornly difficult condition to treat, but novel therapies may not be far away. Saliva has many essential functions, including aiding digestion and swallowing, lubrication, maintaining tooth integrity and antibacterial activity. When patients experience reduced saliva production (hyposalivation),...

Monstrous craws and horrid butchery: a concise history of thyroid surgery

Prior to the foundation of our speciality, thyroid surgery had a dubious reputation and universally dismal outcomes. Jenny Walton casts a critical eye over this dark chapter. Diseases of the thyroid gland have been referenced in historic texts for well...

History of ESPO

Martin Bailey, Secretary-General of ESPO, narrates the story of a society which has promoted and supported the development of paediatric otolaryngology in Europe. In the early 1950s, pioneers in paediatric otorhinolaryngology became active in European countries such as Poland, Hungary,...

The evolution in management of microtia and atresia

The management of microtia and atresia has evolved significantly. Ossama Abdelhamid and Amr Abdelhamid explain how a multidisciplinary approach has become standard, with the aim of delivering individualised assessment and intervention that should target functional, structural, cosmetic and psychological aspects...

Endolymphatic sac surgery: controversial procedure for the treatment of Ménière’s disease

Landmark Paper: Thomsen J, Bretlau P, Tos M, Johnsen NJ. Ménière’s disease: endolymphatic sac decompression compared with sham (placebo) decompression. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1981;374:820-30. Of all of the chapters in the Landmark Papers book, the chapter that discussed...

OBITUARY: Alan Gibb (1919-2020)

Alan Gibb, who passed away on 5 September aged 101, was the Grand Old Man of British Otology. He slipped quietly away at home on Deeside from the long-term consequences of a stroke about two years ago, from which he...

Wilde and the foundations of medical epidemiology

William Wilde (father of Oscar) was renowned as an otologist, but less well known for his work in epidemiology. The bedrock of the modern discipline of public health is good data collection, and we hear from our good friend, Ray...

Aerosol research and performance

Is singing safe? This was a question asked around the world at the start of the pandemic in early 2020. Natalie Watson and Chris Orton tell us about a rapidly-convened research group that led to profound changes in UK Government...

Endoscopic stapes surgery

Traditionally middle ear surgery, including stapes surgery, has been performed using the operating microscope. In this article the authors describe their experience with endoscopic middle surgery and share some of its advantages. Trans-canal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) is now a...

Endoscopic excision of cholesteatoma

In this article Vikranth Visvanathan describes an exciting development on the use of endoscopic technology in complex otological practice. Transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) is rapidly evolving as a recognised method of addressing middle ear and mastoid pathology. Since its...