Ever since the first fully equipped otolaryngology team was sent to the Air Force Theater Hospital (AFTH) in Balad, Iraq in 2004, an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon has become a permanent member of any deployed multispecialty head and neck team, working alongside a neurosurgeon, ophthalmologist and oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
Stroke, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), head and neck cancer, Zenker’s diverticulum—each of these disparate conditions can cause dysphagia.
What is the best procedure for surgical management of drooling? Background: Surgical treatment for sialorrhea is considered when conservative measures fail. Options include sublingual gland excision, submandibular gland (SMG) duct […]
Will propranolol become the mainstay of treatment for symptomatic infantile hemangiomas (IH)? Background: IH are the most common tumor of infancy, affecting four to 10 percent of infants. Spontaneous involution […]
What are the effects of cochlear implants (CIs) on language among children with disabilities? Background: Early implantation of a CI in children with typical development is strongly associated with improved […]
Can the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor bevacizumab (Avastin) treat hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) epistaxis? Background: HHT is an autosomal dominant disorder involving abnormal blood vessel development. An estimated […]
With no laryngeal nerve injury, do vocal characteristics change after thyroidectomy? Background: Vocal dysfunction is a feared complication of thyroidectomy. While operative injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve is a […]
For many patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) has provided much needed relief from a condition that, by its daily aggravation, can significantly reduce quality of life.
On Feb. 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (commonly referred to as ARRA or the Stimulus Bill) which includes the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. The HITECH Act includes significant changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) that affect otolaryngologists and other health care providers, as well as those who process or work with health care information. Below is a summary of how these new provisions, many of which go into effect this Feb. 17, will affect your practice.
Presdient Obama signed legislationlast month to temporarily prevent a 12.2 percent Medicare payment cut scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. The freeze lasts until Feb. 28, during which Congress is expected to come up with a permanent solution to what some consider a flawed payment system.