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Implants and the identity of self

Hearpeers is MED-EL’s international community for people with hearing implants and those considering getting a hearing implant, as well as their families and friends. This group enables people to connect with hearing implant recipients from around the world to learn...

Otological problems in musicians

Musicians are understandably anxious about their hearing, and recent high-profile cases of noise-related hearing loss have resulted in huge changes in the music industry. Chris Aldren (otologist and violinist) explains. In the recent Oscar-winning movie, Sound of Metal, heavy metal...

Thyroid nodules – time for a rational imaging approach

“The more you know, the harder it is to take decisive action. Once you become informed, you start seeing complexities and shades of gray. You realize that nothing is as clear as it first appears. Ultimately, knowledge is paralyzing.” Calvin,...

Specialist teams deliver world-class trauma care

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust runs the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, which is a designated Major Trauma Centre. The Trust holds the contract to treat all UK injured military personnel evacuated from combat zones overseas. More than 1200 of...

Hidden genetic disorders in children that may present to the otolaryngologist

Background Among the many hundreds of children presenting to the otolaryngology clinic are a few whose symptoms are due to an underlying genetic condition. In most cases the underlying syndrome is obvious and has already been diagnosed, such as the...

Anaesthesia for sleep nasendoscopy and snoring / obstructive sleep apnoea surgery

Surgery for sleep disordered breathing inevitably requires surgeon and anaesthetist to share the airway. Here, Edward Bick gives us the anaesthetic viewpoint, reiterating that communication is the key. A specific note is made of the anaesthetic technique for sleep nasendoscopy,...

Giacomo Puccini’s laryngeal cancer

Giacomo Puccini, one of the best known composers of all time, was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer and died from the disease in 1924. In this article, Rosario Marchese-Ragona and Alessandro Martini describe Puccini’s experience of the disease with quotes from...

Advances in vestibular function testing

Vestibular function testing has historically been limited by difficulties in testing individual parts of the vestibular apparatus. Jas Sandhu describes new tests available to clinicians that address this problem. Advances in vestibular function testing Vestibular function testing has historically been...

Endoscopic ear surgery in children

The benefits of endoscopes in otologic surgery, which have become increasingly widely appreciated in recent years, are very well suited to the management of paediatric middle ear disease. Although one might imagine that the smaller ear canal of a child...

Staphylococcus aureus as a cause of refractory chronic rhinosinusitis

Staphylococcus aureus has long been linked to chronic rhinosinusitis, particularly recalcitrant cases. In this article, Alkis Psaltis describes how newer techniques have shown higher rates of S. aureus infection than were previously thought, and explains how the bacteria are able...

Surgical challenges in advanced or recurrent thyroid malignancy

The management of thyroid malignancy and extent of surgery is controversial, especially considering the limitations of preoperative diagnosis. Neil Tolley provides guidance and reminds us of our responsibility not to over-treat. In the UK, 16% of thyroidectomies are performed for...

Quo vadis FESS? Future directions in functional endoscopic sinus surgery

Endoscopic sinus surgery is now so ubiquitous that it is hard to imagine a time when it was not part of our clinical practice. Valentin Tomazic takes a look at its early development and looks ahead to endoscopic sinus surgery...