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What is the right balance to strike in the management of anaplastic thyroid cancer?

This is a pragmatic article on a difficult and much debated subject. Management of anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) can feel like making decisions between a rock and a hard place, and this article suggests one path to help navigate some...

Percutaneous tracheostomy in anticoagulated patients

This Belgian study looked at the risks and complications of bedside percutaneous tracheostomy in patients who received anticoagulant therapy. The 231 tracheostomies included in the study were performed over an eight-year period by two otolaryngologists using bronchoscopic guidance. The mean...

People with dementia and their families want to see speech and language therapists!

Language and communication difficulties are common in Alzheimer’s disease and, of course, language-led dementia (primary progressive aphasia). Communication difficulties are highlighted as one of the biggest burdens for family members caring for loved ones with dementia. This is often associated...

Going online with dysphagia practice: potential for innovation post pandemic

Telepractice is perhaps the most widespread service innovation to have received such rapid uptake across health systems globally. Disciplines that started to adopt telehealth prior to the pandemic found themselves at the forefront of a seismic shift to delivering healthcare...

Videofluoroscopic swallowing studies: balancing risks and benefits

Videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) are an important part of the diagnostic toolkit and arguably the current gold-standard for assessing swallow biomechanics and diagnosing dysphagia. However, the procedure does involve exposure to radiation, and any clinician requesting this should be able...

Describing the most useful OSA assessment?

This article sets out to comprehensibly describe drug induced sleep endoscopy and its role in determining the level of obstruction in patients with OSA. The advantages described include the fact that other techniques, including Muller’s manoeuvre, have significant variation in...

Investigations in the management of OSA in children

The purpose of this study was to pick up variation of practice across the UK in the assessment and management of children with suspected OSA, particularly with reference to pulse oximetry and polysomnography. A questionnaire-based survey revealed that preoperative pulse...

Turbinate reduction in rhinoplasty patients

Rhinoplasty surgery is performed by both plastic and otorhinolaryngology surgeons using varying approaches and methods for both functional and cosmetic reasons. This plastic surgery article identified that inferior turbinate hypertrophy is often encountered during rhinoplasty surgery and a New York...

A guide to managing atypical communication in healthcare

This book provides the background theory as well as practical tips for communicating with different patient populations and varying conditions. Published in 2023, it is a recent book with a great deal of research and practice guidance embedded from various...

Thyroidectomy - a pictorial walk through the surgical steps

We as ENT surgeons work closely with the endocrinologist to provide MDT care for patients with a variety of pathologic conditions of the thyroid gland, including benign, malignant and hormonal disease processes. Surgery plays a central role for a variety...

Robot controlled mastoid surgery!

This is a fascinating piece of work by a Korean team developing a human-robot collaborative control. Their model uses image guidance surgery to locate the drill tip’s position. Important structures can be highlighted – in this case the facial nerve....