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Reducing Hospital Costs for Patients Undergoing TL/BND

What factors influence intraoperative and postoperative costs associated with total laryngectomy (TL) and bilateral neck dissection (BND)? Background: Given the current environment of health care reform, the ability to respond to […]

Women in Otolaryngology Are on the Move: AAO-HNS recognizes section status

A little over a year ago, I wrote an op-ed piece for ENT Today titled, “The Gender Gap in Otolaryngology: How do we make it disappear?” (February 2010). I challenged our specialty to find innovative and inclusive ways to tap into the extraordinary pool of talent found in our women otolaryngologists. And thanks to some extraordinarily enlightened leadership, we did it! Way beyond all hopes and expectations, the men and women of our specialty have paved the way for meaningful and fruitful change.

A Better Look: Emerging imaging technologies show promise in fighting head and neck tumors

When it comes to treating head and neck tumors, the more information that is available, the better. In the past, options for investigating these types of tumors and their aggressiveness were limited. But advances in optical imaging, positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorescent and ultrasound imaging have some otolaryngologists excited about the prospect of getting a better look at head and neck cancer.

Baseball Foul Tip Causing Frontal Sinus Fracture

A 14-year-old boy sustained blunt trauma to the forehead from a foul-tipped baseball. Significant past medical history consisted of allergic rhinitis treated with over-the-counter cetirizine (Zyrtec). On examination, the patient had right frontal sinus depression with overlying edema. There were no palpable nasal bone or orbital rim abnormalities. Baseball threads were seen on the overlying skin as well as ecchymosis on the nasal dorsum and under both eyes.

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.

Change of Course?: Studies point to antibiotics as optimal treatment for otitis media

The question of how soon to give antibiotics to children with acute otitis media (AOM) is receiving renewed attention with the publication of two studies that show the benefit of immediate treatment over the “wait-and-see” approach recommended in the 2004 guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAP/AAFP).