Archives of otolaryngology--head & neck surgery
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Arch. Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg. · Mar 2012
ReviewAdverse laryngeal effects following short-term general anesthesia: a systematic review.
To conduct a systematic review to determine the occurrence and type of vocal cord injury, as well as the occurrence of hoarseness, in adults using an endotracheal tube or laryngeal mask during routine anesthetic care. ⋯ Hoarseness and vocal cord injuries are clinically relevant complications related to short-term general anesthesia using an endotracheal tube or laryngeal mask. However, more well-designed prospective studies are necessary to generate reliable data as well as to investigate techniques to reduce adverse laryngeal effects. For future research, a proposal to categorize the vocal cord lesions due to general anesthesia is presented. Furthermore, use of a preoperative and postoperative standardized measurement protocol using acoustic analysis and the Voice Handicap Index is advised.
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Arch. Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg. · Mar 2012
Alcohol-related predictors of delirium after major head and neck cancer surgery.
To identify specific alcohol-related predictors of postoperative delirium. ⋯ Three clinical variables not related to alcohol drinking (age, preexisting cognitive impairment, and surgery duration), an alcohol-related laboratory test (MCV), and 2 alcohol-related questions ("At any time in your life, has anyone ever suggested that you should cut back on your drinking?" and "What is the greatest number of days in a row you have gone without an alcoholic drink in the past year?") may help in estimating a patient's risk for postoperative delirium.
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Arch. Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg. · Feb 2012
Long-term health-related quality of life in survivors of head and neck cancer.
To examine health-related quality of life (HRQOL) reported by 5-year head and neck cancer survivors and factors that predicted these long-term scores. ⋯ Eating problems due to poor oropharyngeal functioning and persistent pain are the most prevalent problems that these survivors face. Early interventions addressing eating issues, swallowing problems, and pain management will be a crucial component in improving this patient population's long-term QOL, especially in those who are functioning poorly 1 year after diagnosis.
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Arch. Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg. · Feb 2012
Transaxillary gasless robotic thyroidectomy: a single surgeon's experience in North America.
To describe a robotic technique for transaxillary gasless thyroidectomy with the addition of intraoperative peripheral nerve monitoring in the surgical management of thyroid disease. ⋯ We have demonstrated the technique to be feasible, safe, and applicable for patients with thyroid disease. We believe that the use of robotic technology for endoscopic thyroid surgical procedures could overcome the limitations of conventional endoscopic surgical procedures in the surgical management of thyroid disease. To our knowledge, this is the first reported large series using this novel technique in the United States.