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Microbiome changes after endoscopic sinus surgery: all is not what it seems

As we keep fighting a losing battle with bacteria and antibiotics, it becomes clear that it is not about killing bacteria, not even diminishing the bacterial load, but rather about shifting the different types of bacteria that colonise and live...

Salt in surgical simulation

Cheap, easily accessible and realistic methods of reproducing surgery through simulation are the ideal. Here a group from Tokyo, Japan report on a method of producing 3D printed skulls and mandibles to use for simulated surgery. A high resolution CT...

Pre-habilitation in head and neck cancer – a literature review to guide best practice

Curative treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC) often requires surgery; however, outcomes are impacted by the complexity of the surgery and the patient population. Increasingly ‘Enhanced Recovery After Surgery’ (ERAS) protocols are being used to maximise patient outcomes and...

A spoonful of sugar… helps the operated sinuses calm down?

Ottoviano et al. present a prospective double-blinded RCT to assess the effect of a nasal gel containing silver sucrose octasulfate (Silsos Gel) on wound healing after endoscopic sinus surgery. The placebo used was a glycol gel. Thirty-four consecutive patients were...

Endoscopic Ear Surgery: Principles, Indications and Techniques

I was delighted to be asked to review this book. It’s big and shiny, and has 400 pages, many of which bear beautiful colour images including endoscopic photographs, radiological images and clear illustrations of middle ear anatomy. The preface to...

Endoscopic Ear Surgery

This book, published in March 2014, aims to explore the emerging role of endoscopy in the evolution of otological surgery, and details both basic and advanced endoscopic ear surgery techniques in clear text supplemented by beautiful images. It opens with...

‘Dead ear’ after mastoid surgery

The primary aim of surgery in the management of cholesteatoma is eradication of the disease which can potentially result in serious complications such as intracranial extension, facial nerve weakness and further hearing loss. A profound hearing loss resulting postoperatively considerably...

Impact of delaying otologic surgery

In this Belgian study, the authors looked at the impact of delaying otologic surgery by sending an online survey to 44 adult patients diagnosed with benign ear pathology whose surgery was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire was...

Is endoscopic stapes surgery safe and are outcomes comparable to microscopic stapes surgery

Endoscopic techniques for visualisation of the middle ear were described in 1967 by Mer and colleagues, and the use of transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) has since expanded to a wider range of otologic applications including tympanoplasty and excision of...

Time to endoscopic sinus surgery and outcomes

A well written prospective study, which demonstrates that patients who require endoscopic sinus surgery, should be operated on without long delay since this achieves better and more sustained outcomes. There were 1493 patients undergoing primary nasal surgery who had completed...