Current opinion in otolaryngology & head and neck surgery
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Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Jun 2007
ReviewThe role of virtual reality in surgical training in otorhinolaryngology.
This article reviews the rationale, current status and future directions for the development and implementation of virtual reality surgical simulators as training tools. ⋯ Virtual reality simulators are demonstrating validity as training and skills assessment tools. Future prototypes will find application for routine use in teaching, surgical planning and the development of new instruments and computer-assisted devices.
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The treatment of epistaxis has undergone significant changes in recent years. Gone are the days when patients had an uncomfortable posterior nasal pack inserted then spent several days on the ward only to bleed again on its removal. New packing devices, ingenious haemostatic agents and endoscopic surgical approaches have been developed to provide a variety of effective and well-tolerated treatment options. This paper will discuss the evolution and utility of these devices and techniques for managing difficult epistaxis patients. ⋯ Anterior epistaxis is generally easy to control with local cautery. The optimal management of posterior epistaxis is to insert a pack to control the bleeding before taking the patient to the operating theatre to ligate the sphenopalatine artery endoscopically.