Brian D. Nicholas

Endostitch‐assisted endoscopic Zenker's diverticulostomy: a tried approach for difficult cases

The aim was to describe a tried approach to endoscopic Zenkers diverticulostomy, especially in those patients with unfavorable anatomy or smaller pouches who may otherwise be relegated to open repair. The study design was a retrospective case series The setting was an urban, tertiary care university medical center There were seven patients, both inpatient and outpatient, with chief complaints of dysphagia. All had a documented Zenkers diverticulum (ZD) on barium swallow. All of the patients were deemed by the primary surgeon to have some anatomic factor that limited exposure of the diverticulum. The patients underwent Endostitch-assisted endoscopic Zenkers diverticulostomy. Records were retrospectively reviewed, including preoperative and postoperative swallowing status, radiographic findings, operative findings, and follow-up results. Seven patients were reviewed, each of whom had successful endoscopic treatment of ZD. Notably, in each case, an anatomical factor precluded the seating of the gastrointestinal anastomosis (GIA) stapler on the cricopharyngeal bar without the use of endoscopic retention sutures. The majority of the patients were discharged on postoperative day one. All but one patient noted a marked improvement in swallowing function immediately following the procedure and at their outpatient follow-up visit. Endoscopic Zenkers diverticulostomy has been well-described and established as a reliable technique in a majority of cases. We report on our experience using a previously described technique specifically for difficult, unfavorable, or contraindicated cases and suggest the employment of this technique as an alternative method to facilitate endoscopic repair and possibly limit the need for an open approach.

Cortical deafness: a case report and review of the literature.

Objective To review the literature regarding cortical hearing loss and document a case of cortical hearing loss including its presentation, diagnosis, and evolution over 32 months of follow-up. Patient A 56-year-old woman with profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss secondary to sequential hemorrhagic, temporal lobe infarctions separated in time by 8 months. Intervention Diagnostic. Results Sequential infarctions affecting the patient’s auditory radiations and primary auditory cortices bilaterally combined to cause cortical hearing loss. At presentation, audiogram revealed a bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss with no reliable responses to pure-tone or speech audiometry. She has subsequently recovered the ability to distinguish environmental sounds. At her 32-month follow-up, she had a pure-tone average (PTA) of 62 dB on the right and 70 dB on the left but continued to display a poor word recognition score (0%). A literature review was performed from the year 1891 until the present. Conclusion Cortical deafness is an exceedingly rare entity. Presentation and recovery of hearing are dependent on the extent of the initial lesions. The majority of patients can expect improvements in pure-tone auditory thresholds over time; however patients should be counseled that recovery of the ability to understand speech is unlikely.

Arachnoid Cyst: Middle Ear Mass Diagnosis to Consider

The differential diagnosis of middle ear masses includes a wide array of typically benign diseases, with cholesteatoma as the leading entity. Other lesions frequently considered include glomus tumors, schwannomas, choristomas, and other vascular variants. Arachnoid cysts, despite being present in 4% of the population, are seldom considered. 1 .

The Role of the Away Rotation in Otolaryngology Residency

Objective To determine the availability and purpose of away rotations during otolaryngology residency. Study Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Otolaryngology residency programs. Subjects and Methods An anonymous web-based survey was sent to 98 allopathic otolaryngology training program directors, of which 38 programs responded. Fisher exact tests and nonparametric correlations were used to determine statistically significant differences among various strata of programs. A P value of <.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Thirty-nine percent (n = 38) of queried programs responded. Mandatory away rotations and elective away rotations were both present in 6 of 38 programs (16%). Neither number of faculty (P = .119) nor residents (P = .88) was predictive of away rotation. Away rotations were typically >151 miles from the home institution and typically used to address deficiencies in clinical exposure (67%) or case volume (50%). Participants of mandatory away rotations were universally provided housing, with other consideration such as stipend (33%), relocation allowance (33%), or food allowance (16%) sometimes offered. In contrast to mandatory rotations, half of elective rotations were to obtain a unique international mission trip experience. Nearly one-third of surveyed program directors (29%) would consider adding an away rotation to their curriculum in the next 3 years. Conclusions Mandatory and elective away rotations play a role in a small, but not insignificant, number of training programs. The rationale for these rotations is variable. Given that nearly one-third of program directors would consider adding an away rotation in the near future, further research into components of a meaningful away rotation and how to optimize the away rotation experience is warranted.

Otolaryngology Residency Program Research Resources and Scholarly Productivity

Objective To delineate research resources available to otolaryngology residents and their impact on scholarly productivity. Study Design Survey of current otolaryngology program directors. Setting Otolaryngology residency programs. Subjects and Methods An anonymous web-based survey was sent to 98 allopathic otolaryngology training program directors. Fisher exact tests and nonparametric correlations were used to determine statistically significant differences among various strata of programs. Results Thirty-nine percent (n = 38) of queried programs responded. Fourteen (37%) programs had 11 to 15 full-time, academic faculty associated with the residency program. Twenty (53%) programs have a dedicated research coordinator. Basic science lab space and financial resources for statistical work were present at 22 programs (58%). Funding is uniformly provided for presentation of research at conferences; a minority of programs (13%) only funded podium presentations. Twenty-four (63%) have resident research requirements beyond the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) mandate of preparing a “manuscript suitable for publication” prior to graduation. Twenty-five (67%) programs have residents with 2 to 3 active research projects at any given time. None of the investigated resources were significantly associated with increased scholarly output. There was no uniformity to research curricula. Conclusions Otolaryngology residency programs value research, evidenced by financial support provided and requirements beyond the ACGME minimum. Additional resources were not statistically related to an increase in resident research productivity, although they may contribute positively to the overall research experience during training. Potential future areas to examine include research curricula best practices, how to develop meaningful mentorship and resource allocation that inspires continued research interest, and intellectual stimulation.

Thermal Variations of Operative Microscopes in Otology

Objectives (1) Measure temperature variations achieved by common otomicroscopes. (2) Raise awareness about possible thermal injury during otologic procedures with the advent of newer, high-powered otomicroscopes. (3) Describe optical technology that aims to reduce the potential for thermal injury. Methods A variety of otomicroscopes, with different light sources (ranging from 100W halogen to 300W xenon), were studied. Temperatures were recorded from human auricular skin with a noncontact infrared thermometer at various microscope light intensities and with use of irrigation. Multiple recordings were done at 5-minute intervals, and a working distance of 225 mm was maintained. Results Maximum skin temperatures were found to plateau relatively quickly, with higher-wattage xenon light sources reaching greater temperatures. One-way analysis of variance revealed significant differences in temperatures with decreased light intensities. High-wattage xenon light sources reached significantly higher temperatures when compared with halogen models. Discussion There is substantial variation in maximal skin temperatures reached by otomicroscopes. Temperatures can be decreased to safe levels by reducing light intensity and with use of irrigation. The maximum temperature obtained in our study was 41.4°C. Second-degree skin burns have been described with prolonged exposures to temperatures >44°C. Implications for Practice Given the described potential for burns, surgeons performing procedures on the ear and temporal bone should take precautions to diminish temperature in the operative field.

S294 – Pre-op Prevalence of MRSA in Intranasal Surgery Patients

Objectives 1) Understand the extent of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among those undergoing intranasal surgery. 2) Be able to describe potential risk factors for MRSA colonization. The purpose of this study is to outline a prevalance of MRSA colonization among those undergoing inranasal surgery, with an exploration of potential risk factors for colonization. Methods Patients undergoing intranasal surgery (endoscopic sinus surgery, rhinoplasty, septoplasty, etc) at a tertiary care medical center had preoperative nasal swab cultures. The primary endpoint was positive culture of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Patient demographic information was also collected to ascertain potential risk factors for colonization of MRSA. Results Early results have demonstrated that the prevalence of MRSA in patients is less than the reported prevalence in hospital inpatient populations. Of the initial 25 patients enrolled in this study, none were shown to be colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (0/25), with 1 patient having reported a history of MRSA infection (4%). Conclusions Preliminary data suggests that the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among patients undergoing intranasal surgery is less than the prevalence of inpatient populations as reported in several previous studies. While preliminary data suggests a potential decreased prevalence of MRSA in this population, a much larger sample of patients is needed to make a more definitive statement. In the coming weeks and months, as more data is gathered and the sample size included in the study grows, it will be interesting to note whether the initial trend, as suggested here, continues.