ENTtoday: February 2021

These New Imaging Advances May Help to Protect Parathyroids

Recent advances in intraoperative, near-infrared imaging technology may offer effective tools for surgeons to help avoid negative outcomes.

Is the Training and Cost of a Fellowship Worth It? Here’s What Otolaryngologists Say

If you’re an otolaryngology resident considering a private practice career, how do you decide what the value of a fellowship is to you?

Tips for Physicians on How to Talk to Patients Who Are Hesitant about the COVID-19 Vaccine

It’s important to distinguish between those who are staunchly anti-vaccine who will never be swayed, and those who have real reservations that a physician or a trusted community leader might be able to persuade.

How 3D Printing Is Transforming the Pediatric Otolaryngology Field

Although the science of 3D printing is more than 30 years old, its appication in treating infants and children with airway conditions is much newer.

Why Virtual Grand Rounds May Be Here to Stay

The COVID-19 pandemic effectively eliminated the option of group gatherings and compelled academic program directors to turn to a virtual format for their grand rounds.

Otolaryngologist Leverages His Love of Pinball into Second Business

Paul Burkhart, DO, is a partner physician at Ohio ENT & Allergy Physicians in Columbus, Ohio. But he’s also the owner of Level One Bar and Arcade, a pinball and video game emporium and bar.

A Ray of Hope: ENTtoday’s Board Members and Colleagues are Receiving the COVID Vaccine

For this month’s “From the Editor,” I wanted to show how committed ENTtoday’s board members and colleagues are to receiving the vaccine.

Which Otologic Procedures Poses the Greatest Risk of Aerosol Generation?

Significant aerosol levels were generated during cadaveric simulation of mastoidectomy, and aerosol spikes were appreciated during cochlear implantation in live patients.

Hypopharyngeal-Esophageal Multichannel Intraluminal Impedance-pH Monitoring of LPR Patients May Affect Therapeutic Strategies

Hypopharyngeal-proximal reflux episodes occur less frequently than gastroesophageal reflux disease episodes after meals and at night, and future therapies for LPR patients should take the HEMII-pH profile into consideration.

Triological Society Research Career Development Award Recipients Achieve Disproportionately High Academic Success

CDA awardees achieve higher academic success than academic otolaryngologists in general, but female CDA recipients lag behind their male colleagues.

Sarcopenia Significantly Associated with Poorer Overall Survival of Patients with Head and Neck Cancers

Pretreatment sarcopenia as radiologically defined by decreased skeletal muscle index (SMI) or skeletal muscle mass (SMM) correlates with poor survival in HNC patients.

Oxygen Desaturation Index Valuable for Sleep Apnea Diagnosis in Some Instances

What is the value of the oxygen desaturation index (ODI) as compared to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in accurately diagnosing adult obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?

Regression Not a Negative Prognostic Indicator of Primary Cutaneous Head–Neck Melanoma

A look at the impact of regression on sentinel node status and the likelihood of recurrence in primary cutaneous melanoma of the head and neck.

Do Patients With Dementia Benefit From Cochlear Implantation?

Newer studies assess the effect of cochlear implants on independent risk factors for dementia associated with hearing loss, including cognition, depression, and physical activity.

What is the Optimal Timing of Computed Tomography Imaging to Objectively Confirm Chronic Rhinosinusitis?

In patients with suspected CRS based on symptoms but with normal endoscopic findings, an upfront CT scan is a viable option prior to initiating empiric medical therapy.

What is the Role of Trans-Oral Robotic Surgery (TORS) in HPV Negative Oropharyngeal Cancer?

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has become increasingly accepted as a treatment modality in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive T1/T2 oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC).