Tests on cost versus efficacy have found that it makes sense to do the monitoring, Dr. Randolph said. “Our work has shown that the use of nerve monitoring is cost effective for all cases of bilateral thyroidectomy by allowing the identification of first-side injury and staging surgery,” he said, “as opposed to not using monitoring, continuing the surgery, and potentially having bilateral vocal cord paralysis and tracheotomy.”
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March 2017Thomas Collins is a freelance medical writer based in Florida.
Take-Home Points
- Nanogel for drug delivery to the inner ear is effective at sustaining therapeutic levels over longer periods, avoiding the side effect seen when drugs are delivered systemically.
- Acoustic hearing at low frequencies and electrically stimulated hearing at high frequencies can be an effective approach for patients with enough residual hearing.
- Balloon dilation is effective for Eustachian tube dilatory dysfunction, helping to reduce inflammation.
- Intraoperative vagal nerve monitoring can identify threats of nerve injury, allowing time for corrective action so that injury can be avoided.