Daniel M. Beswick

Oncologic and Functional Outcomes of Partial Laryngeal Surgery for Intermediate-Stage Laryngeal Cancer

Objective To evaluate the oncologic and functional outcomes of partial laryngeal surgery (PLS) using transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) and supracricoid laryngectomy (SCL) in patients with intermediate-stage laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Study Design Historical cohort study. Setting Single tertiary care center. Subjects and Methods Retrospective review of oncologic and functional outcomes in intermediate-stage (T2-3/N0-1, stage II and III) LSCC patients who underwent TLM or SCL from 1998 to 2010. Results Sixty patients were included, of whom 28 (47%) underwent TLM and 32 (53%) underwent SCL. For the entire cohort, 2- and 5-year probabilities were 86.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 73.0%-93.2%) and 72.9% (95% CI, 52.4%-85.6%), respectively, for overall survival (OS) and 79.3% (95% CI, 65.6%-88.0%) and 62.4% (95% CI, 41.9%-77.4%), respectively, for recurrence-free survival (RFS). There was no difference between the TLM and SCL cohorts in OS (P = .542) or RFS (P = .483). More than 75% of patients avoided adjuvant therapy. Communication Scale and Functional Outcome Swallowing Scale scores at median follow-up of 33 months were 2 or better in 97% and 91% of patients, respectively, reflecting functional voice and swallowing postoperatively. Eighty-eight percent of patients retained a functional larynx. Conclusion PLS provides excellent oncologic and functional outcomes for intermediate-stage LSCC and should be considered an alternative to chemoradiation or total laryngectomy in selected patients.

Practice Patterns in Pediatric Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Survey of the American Rhinologic Society

Background The management of pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis (PCRS) is evolving. Objective To assess current practice patterns of members of the American Rhinologic Society (ARS) in managing PCRS. Methods A 27-item Web-based survey on treatment of PCRS was electronically distributed to the ARS membership. Results The survey was completed by 67 members, 40% of whom had completed a rhinology fellowship. The most frequently used medical therapies as part of initial treatment for PCRS were nasal saline solution irrigation, (90%), topical nasal steroids (93%), oral antibiotics (52%), and oral steroids (20%). For initial surgical therapy, 90% performed adenoidectomy; in addition, 31% also performed sinus lavage, 17% performed balloon catheter dilation (BCD), and 17% performed endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). Sixty percent performed adenoidectomy before obtaining computed tomography imaging. When initial surgical treatment failed, 85% performed traditional ESS. In patients with pansinusitis, 50% of the respondents performed frontal sinusotomy and 70% performed sphenoidotomy. BCD was not frequently used; overall, 66% never or rarely used it, 20% sometimes used it, 12% usually used it, and 3% always or almost always used BCD. Conclusions Most aspects of PCRS management among ARS members were aligned with published consensus statements. Adenoidectomy was almost always included as part of first-line surgical treatment but was also combined with adjunctive surgical procedures with moderate frequency. ESS was performed by a minority of rhinologists as a primary procedure for medically refractory PCRS but was favored when previous surgery failed. BCD was uncommonly used in PCRS.

Pediatric Chronic Rhinosinusitis Management in Rhinologists and Pediatric Otolaryngologists

Objective: To compare the management of pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis (PCRS) between members of the American Rhinologic Society (ARS) and the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ASPO). Study Design: Comparison of surveys. Methods: A web-based survey was distributed to ASPO membership twice in September-October 2016. Data were compared to previously published data from ARS membership in March-April 2016. Results: ASPO survey completion rate was 22%. ARS members were more likely to employ oral steroids in initial (P = .025) and maximal medical management (P = .001). ASPO members more commonly performed adenoidectomy before computed tomography (CT) (P < .001). Both groups commonly included adenoidectomy as part of initial surgical management (90% vs 94%, P = .316), while ASPO members more frequently performed adenoidectomy alone (70% vs 43%, P = .001). If initial surgical treatment failed, both groups commonly performed endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS; 81% vs 88%, P = .56) with a similar extent including frontal (P ≥ .207) and sphenoid (P ≥ .304) surgery. Conclusions: Pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis management is similar between groups, yet there are differences including oral steroid use, relative order of CT versus adenoidectomy, and performing concomitant procedures with adenoidectomy. Both groups commonly perform ESS with similar surgical extent if prior surgical treatment fails. Management by both groups is largely in agreement with published consensus statements.

Consultation via telemedicine and access to operative care for patients with head and neck cancer in a Veterans Health Administration population.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a telemedicine model that utilizes an audiovisual teleconference as a preoperative visit.

Biomedical device innovation methodology: applications in biophotonics

Abstract. The process of medical device innovation involves an iterative method that focuses on designing innovative, device-oriented solutions that address unmet clinical needs. This process has been applied to the field of biophotonics with many notable successes. Device innovation begins with identifying an unmet clinical need and evaluating this need through a variety of lenses, including currently existing solutions for the need, stakeholders who are interested in the need, and the market that will support an innovative solution. Only once the clinical need is understood in detail can the invention process begin. The ideation phase often involves multiple levels of brainstorming and prototyping with the aim of addressing technical and clinical questions early and in a cost-efficient manner. Once potential solutions are found, they are tested against a number of known translational factors, including intellectual property, regulatory, and reimbursement landscapes. Only when the solution matches the clinical need, the next phase of building a “to market” strategy should begin. Most aspects of the innovation process can be conducted relatively quickly and without significant capital expense. This white paper focuses on key points of the medical device innovation method and how the field of biophotonics has been applied within this framework to generate clinical and commercial success.

Quantification of maxillary sinus accessibility via a middle meatal antrostomy.

Objective To quantify maxillary sinus volume and mucosal surface area (SA) that is accessible endoscopically via a middle meatal antrostomy and to explore the financial implications of using multiple disposable instruments for this procedure. Methods Eight cadaver maxillary sinuses configured with image guidance software were evaluated. In each sinus, a standard middle meatal antrostomy was created, through which curved microdebriders of 15, 40, 70, and 120° were placed. The SA and volume of the region accessible by each microdebrider tip was calculated. Results Mean maxillary sinus volume was 16.5 ± 2.5 cm3 and mean SA was 31.0 ± 2.3 cm2. The 15, 40, 70 and 120° microdebriders accessed an average of 10, 25, 41, and 66%, respectively, of the SA, and of 2, 9, 17, and 36%, respectively, of the volume. There was a trend toward improved accessibility of the superior half versus the inferior half of the maxillary sinus. When instruments of different degrees were combined to maximize accessibility, 81% of the SA of the sinus could be accessed. Conclusions Microdebriders with increasing curvatures allowed for greater access of the maxillary sinus mucosa through an middle meatal antrostomy. No single microdebrider curvature or combination of curvatures reached the entirety of the maxillary sinus wall. Knowledge about the area of reach for these blades can lead to lower per procedure costs.

Comparison of surgical outcomes between patients with unilateral and bilateral chronic rhinosinusitis

Although the majority of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyposis (CRSsNP) suffer from bilateral disease, a subset suffer from unilateral disease. Currently, outcomes following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) for medically recalcitrant CRS are inferred from outcomes for patients with bilateral disease. This study compares outcomes of ESS between patients with unilateral and bilateral disease.

Pharmacological Management of Chronic Rhinosinusitis: Current and Evolving Treatments

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is an inflammatory sinonasal condition with multiple etiologic factors that is associated with a vast economic cost. Treatment is most frequently pharmacologic and has centered on agents that ameliorate inflammation, decrease bacterial or pathogen load, and facilitate egress of mucus or purulence from the sinonasal cavity. Nasal saline irrigations, topical nasal steroids, certain antibiotics, and systemic steroids have shown some efficacy in the management of CRS. Recently, biologic therapeutics that target specific inflammatory pathways associated with subsets of CRS have been developed and evaluated. Early data evaluating these biologic treatments suggest a potential role in treating a subset of CRS with refractory, poorly controlled disease. Additional studies are necessary to identify which patients would benefit most from biologic therapies and to assess the cost of these therapies compared with the benefit they provide. This review describes the pathophysiology of CRS and summarizes both established and novel biologic pharmacologic treatments.

Repair of Posterior Glottic Stenosis with the Modified Endoscopic Postcricoid Advancement Flap

Posterior glottic stenosis is a difficult clinical problem that frequently results in bilateral vocal fold immobility, dyspnea, and tracheostomy dependence. Charts were reviewed of all patients undergoing a modified endoscopic postcricoid advancement flap procedure for posterior glottic stenosis between October 1, 2003, and June 30, 2015. Age, sex, operative findings, complications, and outcomes were noted. Follow-up was available in 10 of 11 patients, 10 of whom were successfully decannulated. There were no complications. Regular diet was maintained in all patients. In patients with bilateral vocal fold immobility secondary to posterior glottis stenosis, endoscopic repair via endoscopic postcricoid advancement flap can restore full vocal fold motion and allow decannulation. In select patients with posterior glottic stenosis, repair via endoscopic postcricoid advancement flap should be considered in lieu of ablative methods, such as cordotomy, cordectomy, or arytenoidectomy.

Design and rationale of a prospective, multi-institutional registry for patients with sinonasal malignancy

Assessment of patients with sinonasal malignancy is challenging due to the low disease incidence and diverse histopathology. The current literature is composed mainly of retrospective studies with heterogeneous cohorts, and the rarity of cases limits our understanding of disease characteristics and treatment outcomes. We describe the development of a prospective, multi‐institutional registry that utilizes cloud‐based computing to evaluate treatment outcomes in patients with sinonasal cancer.