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The process of medical innovation

You’ve got an amazing idea for a new device. It is going to change how your speciality of surgery is practised. It will lead to better operative results and lower risks to patients – that’s amazing, can I see it?...

Emerging robotic systems for head and neck surgery

As of December 2020, seven robotic surgical systems have received approval for use in different jurisdictions, and many more task-specific robots are in the pipeline. Jack Faulkner takes us through what’s on the horizon for head and neck cancer surgery....

Setting up a robotic surgical practice: view from India

Transoral robotic surgery has an established role in head and neck cancer surgery. But how easy is it to set up a service in a resource-constrained environment? Gouri Pantvaidya and Ameya Pai give us a view from the Indian subcontinent....

The changing landscape of thyroid and parathyroid surgery

How has clinical practice in the management of thyroid and parathyroid disease has evolved in recent years? I perform very few head & neck operations where the patient tells me just one week following surgery that they ‘feel much better’....

Biologic therapies for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: a new paradigm

Surgery for nasal polyposis has evolved significantly in the last 30 years, and now the medical management may be on the cusp of a revolution. Biologics using monoclonal antibodies to target specific immune pathways have introduced a paradigm shift in...

When patient choice stands in the way of patient-centredness

In the field of hearing care, there is increasing focus on ensuring patient autonomy and choice. Greater participation in decision making is supposed to result in better patient satisfaction. A study conducted in ENT and audiology clinics paradoxically suggests that...

Music and single-sided deafness: challenges and solutions

Music is an integral part of many of our lives, providing entertainment, relaxation and a backing track to our past experiences. In this overview, Gemma Crundwell and David Baguley examine the impact of SSD on the perception of music and...

What’s new in genetic testing for hearing impairment?

Often the first question following the diagnosis of a hearing loss is ‘why?’ In this article Ali Danesh explores the advances made in uncovering ‘why’ from a genetics perspective. Ali describes the panel of genetic tests now commercially available to...

A place for everything and everything in its place: the practicalities of randomised clinical trials

Will this pill cure tinnitus? Bonnie Millar describes one trial that has investigated the possibility whilst describing the path of drug trials in the UK. Background In the last quarter of 2014, a clinical trial (QUIET-1; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02315508) commenced...

Otoacoustic emissions in the diagnostic test battery for hearing loss

So, they are great for screening, but how can otoacoustic emissions be integrated into the diagnostic test battery? Beth Prieve examines the role of diagnostic OAEs by asking three simple questions. Audiologists and otolaryngologists are familiar with otoacoustic emissions (OAEs)...

Diagnosing and managing somatic tinnitus

Interactions between auditory and somatosensory pathways can lead to interesting tinnitus experiences which can be very bothersome. Dr Sarah Michiels describes her pioneering work in this area, and the possibilities of physiotherapy based therapy. Background Somatic (also called somatosensory) tinnitus...

Can the audiology clinic benefit from advances in virtual reality?

François Patou discusses how the recent advances in virtual reality technologies can be used to support people living with hearing loss. He outlines some of the novel virtual reality tools that are emerging as resources to support delivery of audiology...