ENTtoday: March 2023

Why We Get Colds

Results from a groundbreaking study show that a cold nose is not a good thing when it comes to fighting infections.

Some Challenges Remain to Having a Universal Resident Leave Policy, But Otolaryngology Programs Are Getting Closer

Several medical residency parental leave policies have been introduced, but challenges persist around the implementation of a standardized parental leave for otolaryngology residents in the United States.

A New Committee Is Helping Foster Research and Awareness of Otolaryngology’s Role in Treating Cleft Lip and Palate Repair

A new committee of specialized otolaryngologists play a critical role in surgically repairing cleft lips and palates and caring for those born with these childhood conditions, but the general public and referring physicians are not always aware of their significant contributions.

Physician Assistants in Otolaryngology Can Be a Boon to Otolaryngology Practices With the Substantial Training They Receive

Accredited educational programs and on-the-job training equip physician assistants to master specialty-specific skills and tasks, making them invaluable to an otolaryngology practice.

Are the Jobs in Healthcare Good Jobs?

It’s more important than ever to ask, “Are the jobs in healthcare good jobs? If not, how can we make them so?”

What Really Works in Functional Rhinoplasty?

Functional rhinoplasty is an umbrella term used to describe the various surgical techniques that alter the external nasal structure with the goal of improving nasal breathing. Numerous techniques have been described and shown to be successful.

Is the Best Modality to Assess Vocal Fold Mobility in Children Flexible Fiberoptic Laryngoscopy or Ultrasound?

The gold standard in the evaluation of VFI in children is awake flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy (FFL) but over the past decade, ultrasound (US) has gained increasing attention as a modality for assessing vocal fold mobility in children.

Three Primary Treatment Strategies Show No Differences in Swallow Outcome for Patients with Low- to Intermediate-Risk Tonsil Cancer

Clinical and patient-reported outcomes revealed a similar presence and prevalence of dysphagia and swallow-related quality of life at subacute and long-term time points, regardless of primary treatment strategy.

Endoscopic Sinus Surgery More Cost-Effective than Dupilumab in Treatment of Patients with Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps

Dupilumab is a novel monoclonal antibody that shows promise in treating patients with CRSwNP who fail initial medical management. ESS, the mainstay therapy for CRSwNP, has been shown to be clinically effective and cost-effective when compared to long-term medical management.

Adding Enhanced Measurements to Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy Aids in Distinguishing Central from Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Patients

Central sleep apnea can be easily mistaken for obstructive sleep apnea; enhancing during drug-induced sleep endoscopy with additional measurements enables sleep surgeons to correlate physiologic and anatomic assessment to distinguish between the two apneas.

Remotely Reported Peak Flow Meter Measurements Demonstrate Disease Progression, Predict Need for Surgery in Patients with Subglottal Stenosis

Peak flow meter measurements can adequately demonstrate disease progression and predict the need for surgery in patients with SGS disease and, together with dyspnea Index (DI) scores, may be a useful tool for remotely following these patients.

Upfront Transoral Laser Microsurgery May Offer Survival Benefit Over Radiotherapy in Patients With Early-Stage Supraglottic Squamous Cell Carcinoma

An upfront Transoral Laser Microsurgery-based surgical approach to T2N0 SSCC may offer an overall survival benefit compared with definitive Radiotherapy in Patients with Early-Stage Supraglottic Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Morbidity and Mortality Are Low in Children Who Undergo Bronchoscopy For Pediatric Airway Foreign Body Aspiration

Morbidity and mortality are low in children undergoing bronchoscopy for Airway Foreign Body Aspiration; a downward mortality trend suggests improvement in the safety of this procedure.

How To: Extended External Rhinoplasty Approach for Nasal Dermoids With Intracranial Extension

Extended external rhinoplasty with bilateral marginal and alar base incisions provides access to the nasal part of the dermoid and excellent visualization of the anterior skull base for complete excision of large intracranial cysts in a cosmetically favorable manner.

How To: Expanded Transcanal Transpromontorial Approach for Acoustic Neuroma Removal

Despite the accumulating evidence of feasibility, safety, and positive functional outcomes of the Expanded Transcanal Transpromontorial Approach, its spread has been restricted to few centers across the world.