I was delighted to review this manual, having had the previous privilege of joining its lead author, Professor Harvey Coates, in one of his indigenous ear health clinics just outside Perth, Western Australia. Prof Coates has worked with a broad...
Endoscopic sphenopalatine artery ligation or cauterisation is nowadays the main treatment for epistaxis unresponsive to medical therapy. However, on review of the literature, there appears to be confusion relating to the anatomical nomenclature of the sphenopalatine artery branches and more...
Many different methods for tonsillectomy have emerged but whether they provide an improvement over the traditional cold steel tonsillectomy is another matter. Thermal welding is a recent method of tonsillectomy in which the tissues are simultaneously coagulated and divided. In...
In this article, Alhabib et al consider the changes to electrode impedance with early device activation (day one) compared to conventional activation (day 30). Activation at day 30 is a cautious approach, which has been popular for many years. However,...
This interesting retrospective case series analyses the effectiveness of a modified surgical technique with retromastoid reconstruction of the sigmoid sinus by mechanical compression with Surgicel and bone wax packing under local anaesthesia for patients with venous pulsatile tinnitus related to...
Cochlear implants (CIs) are commonly used for profound bilateral hearing loss. They have specific national guidance for their insertion, however patients with a substantial residual acoustic hearing are potential CI candidates. Preservation of this residual hearing can be sought with...
The success of rhinoplasty is highly variable and the technique employed by the operating surgeon must be tailored for different patient demographics. This group from China describes the structural differences in nasal configuration within the Asian population, notably an under-projected...
The Glasgow Temporal Bone Course was started in 1976, by Mr Alastair Pettigrew using cadaver bones. However, because of changes in the law in the UK, these became unavailable in the middle 90s and the course had to use the...
The Irish Rhinologic Society has recently launched an introductory patient education podcast series. The initial series will be four episodes, which will also include a dedicated episode to asthma/allergic rhinitis and nasal surgery.
‘Checklists’ in the operating room make for safer surgery, better handovers and improved patient care. Can we apply the principles we have learned since Atul Gawande and the WHO pioneered this approach to surgery to our own wellbeing as doctors,...
This well organised study from Australia looks at inferior turbinoplasty outcomes in patients with allergy and non-allergic rhinitis who have become refractory to medical treatment. There were 190 patients undergoing turbinoplasty with or without septoplasty assessed in this case-control study...
This meta-analysis is from Rochester, New York, and aims to add more evidence for the use of TIVA in endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) to arm rhinologists keen for a quick, bloodless FESS in the discussion with anaesthetists who prefer inhalation....