Latest head and neck surgery Stories

Children may have a better quality of life (QOL) and diminished cardiovascular disease risk from the decreased endothelin 1 (ET-1) levels after adenotonsillectomy, according to new research published in the December 2011 issue of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. SDB is an increasingly common indication for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy due to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Cardiovascular (CV) disease frequently has been reported in patients with moderate to severe...

Large, population specific community-based screening may increase awareness of the dangers of smoking and reduce at-risk behaviors, according to a new study in the November 2011 issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. While the World Health Organizations estimates that 60 to 80% of head and neck cancers could be curbed by changing at-risk behaviors, such as tobacco use, our national programs to date have had little impact reducing these mortalities. To change this statistic and...

A preliminary study suggests that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique called SWIFT (sweep imaging with Fourier transform) appears feasible to help provide a three-dimensional assessment that may aid in detecting involvement of the jawbone by oral cancer, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Advanced squamous cell carcinoma that arises in the oral cavity frequently invades the mandible...

During thyroidectomy (surgery to remove the thyroid gland), the technique surgeons use to identify an important nerve appears to make a difference in terms of complications such as impairment of the parathyroid glands (which make a hormone that controls calcium levels), according to a report published Online First today by Archives of Otolaryngology"“Head and Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.According to background information in the article, thyroidectomy is a common...

The Sinonasal Outcome Test-16 (SNOT-16) appears to be effective in assessing how well treatments improve the disease specific quality of life (QOL) of adult patients with acute rhinosinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses), according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Otolaryngology"“Head and Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.According to background information in the article, acute rhinosinusitis often causes patients to feel sick and anxious, miss work or school...

Tobacco related disease is a primary source of mortality for African American men. Recent studies suggest that "alternative" tobacco products may have supplanted cigarettes as the most common products used by young African Americans, according to new research published in the August 2011 issue of Otolaryngology "“ Head and Neck Surgery.While the tobacco-related disease burden is higher in African American adults, prevalence rates of tobacco use among young African American teens...

A multidisciplinary clinical practice guideline, "Polysomnography for Sleep-Disordered Breathing Prior to Tonsillectomy in Children" will be published as a supplement to the July issue of Otolaryngology"”Head and Neck Surgery. This guideline provides otolaryngologists with evidence-based recommendations for using polysomnography in assessing children, aged 2 to 18 years, with sleep-disordered breathing and who are candidates for tonsillectomy, with or without...

Fatigue and poor health, anxiety and depression (physiological, affective and cognitive factors) may have a major impact on patients with functional dysphonia (FD), leading to time off work, reduced activity, and social withdrawal, all of which could further perpetuate and/or cause anxiety, low mood, fatigue and reduced voice use, according to new research published in the June 2011 issue of Otolaryngology "“ Head and Neck Surgery.Functional dysphonia (FD) is a voice disorder in which an...

Though there have been significant improvements in the treatment of head and neck cancer, there is still a lack of data on the experience of end of life care for head and neck cancer patients, according to a new study published in the May 2011 issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.As discussed in this study, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs group has developed the Family Assessment of Treatment at the End of life (FATE) survey, which is administered to families of...

Surgical approaches that reduce incision size and recovery time from thyroid surgery work well in children, physician-scientists report."It brings parents comfort to know it's going to be a small incision, an outpatient surgery with no drains or staples on the skin. We just use some glue for the skin and the recovery is very rapid," said Dr. David Terris, Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Georgia Health Sciences University.The results should bring...