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Help or Hoopla?: Surgical robots can benefit otolaryngology

The large, roadside billboards advertised robotic surgery in bright, bold colors, something that struck David Eibling, MD, professor of otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh, as “fundamentally wrong.” Hospitals and physicians “should not be offering robotic surgery as a draw for patients,” said Dr. Eibling, who noticed the billboards while traveling through Florida earlier this year, “but rather as a potential tool to benefit the care of the patient.”

An Unofficial First-Line Treatment: Propranolol gains widespread use for infantile hemangiomas

Since the first report in 2008 of the effectiveness of propranolol to treat infantile hemangiomas, its use has grown among physicians who treat these tumors, which arise in 5 to 10 percent of infants. Among these infants, approximately 10 percent will require treatment to correct functional impairment or prevent lasting cosmetic deformity caused by the hemangioma.

Middle Ear Implants Offer Potential: New breed of devices may stimulate compliance, experts say

For decades, otolaryngologists have been frustrated by the refusal of some patients with hearing loss to use hearing aids. Statistics on noncompliance vary, but there is general agreement that only about 20 percent to 25 percent of Americans with treatable hearing loss use hearing aids. The problem seems to be more acute for people with mild hearing loss: A consumer survey conducted by the nonprofit Better Hearing Institute in 2009 found that fewer than 10 percent of people with mild hearing loss use amplification and that even among people with moderate-to-severe hearing loss, only four in 10 use amplification.

Get Out There: Optimize your web identity to sell your otolaryngology services

If you think your patients are finding your otolaryngology practice by looking in the Yellow Pages, think again. Increasingly, patients are deciding which physician to call by visiting the web and reading feedback on sites like vitals.com, healthgrades.com, lifescript.com and drscore.com.

Trio Transitions: The outgoing and incoming presidents share their goals for the society

At the Triological Society’s Annual Meeting in April, Robert H. Ossoff, DMD, MD, Maness Professor of Laryngology and Voice and assistant vice-chancellor for compliance and corporate integrity at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, will assume the presidency of the society. Dr. Ossoff will be filling the role currently held by Gerald Berke, MD, chief of head and neck surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Happy Patients, Happy Doctors: Patient satisfaction surveys will become an important part of your practice

When Kevin Watson joined Colorado Otolaryngology Associates, PC, as administrator nearly two years ago, the Colorado Springs practice wasn’t asking patients about their care experience in a systematic fashion. “They had done some patient surveys, but it was all hard copy and they hadn’t received a great response,” he said.

Closing the Knowledge Gap: New food allergy guidelines provide clarity to some otolaryngologists

Ronald A. Simon, MD, often illustrates a major food allergy misconception by showing a “Peanuts” cartoon of a bleary-eyed Snoopy lying atop his doghouse. “I think I’m allergic to morning,” Snoopy says.

A Look at Transoral Robotic Surgery with Synchronous Neck Dissection

What is the incidence of pharyngocutaneous fistula associated with transoral robotic oropharyngectomy with concurrent neck dissection, and how can pharyngocutaneous fistula be prevented and treated? Background: Transoral resection is emerging as […]

Tailored Treatments: The right approach to vocal fold paralysis depends on the patient, panelists say

Otolaryngologists treating vocal fold paralysis have many options from which to choose, but the best choice depends on the wants and needs of the patient, a panel of experts said here at the Triological Society’s Combined Sections Meeting on Jan. 28.

Mission Accomplished?: Measuring success on humanitarian trips

The first time Gayle Woodson, MD, went on an international otolaryngology outreach mission 15 years ago, she was “a little afraid to go.” The chair of otolaryngology at Southern Illinois University in Springfield was traveling to Tanzania, a country prone to violence and war, and there was no telling what kind of environment she was entering.