Four pairs of experts squared off at the Triological Society Combined Sections Meeting in a session of mini-debates over limits on training of residents, treatment of Zenker’s diverticulum, implantable hearing aids and the best approach to oropharyngeal cancer.
Once the province of neurosurgeons, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak repair is now handled mostly by otolaryngologists. This change has occurred over the past couple of decades, during which time the evolution of endoscopic tools and techniques has made possible extracranial rather than intracranial repair. The success rate for repairing these leaks from below has reached about 90 percent, particularly for small leaks.
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.
Part 1 of a series
A leading endoscopic surgeon said that removing complex esthesioneuro blastomas can be achieved using accepted oncological principles, and that the early results appear comparable to outcomes achieved with conventional surgery.
New endoscopic technology allows skilled surgeons to perform minimally invasive operations such as delicate esthesioneuroblastoma resection-but a leader in the field suggests that just because the procedure can be performed endoscopically doesn’t necessarily mean it should be attempted.