The Laryngoscope
-
Determine the prevalence and safety of pediatric ambulatory otolaryngologic procedures in the United States. ⋯ Pediatric otolaryngologic surgery is not only common but very safe in the ambulatory setting, with relatively minor complications occurring at rates of approximating 1%. Life-threatening complications are exceedingly rare. Ambulatory tonsillectomy in children younger than 4 years requires careful selection.
-
Comparative Study
Clinical behavior of follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma: presentation and survival.
To determine the prevalence and extent of disease characteristics of the follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (FV-PTC) and the survival impact of this histopathological diagnosis compared to classical papillary thyroid carcinoma (C-PTC). ⋯ Disease presentation (with exception of nodal metastasis) and survival in patients with FV-PTC are statistically similar to that of C-PTC, and accordingly these patients carry very similar prognoses.
-
Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OPD) is common and costly. In order to improve quality of life for patients and costs to society, better treatments than currently available are needed. The author hypothesized that manual control of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) is possible by pulling the larynx directly forward with anterior traction on the cricoid cartilage. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of manual control of the UES as a possible therapy for OPD. ⋯ Manual control of the upper esophageal sphincter is possible. Simple anterior traction on the suture placed around the cricoid cartilage improved UES opening by 0.36 cm (+/-0.19) in a cohort of dysphagic patients. The Swallow Expansion Device opened the UES of cadavers and living sheep to superphysiologic proportions (P < .001). There was no histologic evidence of cricoid damage from prolonged use of the implant.