Effects of oral isotretinoin on normal and wounded nasal mucosa: an experimental study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the effect of systemic isotretinoin therapy on normal and wounded nasal septal mucosa histopathologically in an experimental rabbit model. METHODS: Circular mucosal defect with a 7 mm diameter was made in the left septum of 12 New Zealand white rabbits. The rabbits were divided into two groups (six rabbits in each group) oral isotretinoin was given with olive oil at the operation day to the first group. The control group was only oil given group. The harvested septum mucosas were divided into four groups (1-wounded-drug given side, 2-unwounded and drug-given side, 3-wounded-control and 4-unwounded-control side). The diameter of the defect, mucosal thickness, epithelial thickness, ciliated cell level, goblet cell level and inflammation were evaluated every week for 4 weeks. RESULTS: At both wounded and normal side, thinning of normal respiratory ciliated epithelium was observed in the postoperative period. In study group at the wounded side; mean mucosal thickness was measured 139.66 µ (± 26.24), and in the control group, mean mucosal thickness was 238.33 µ (± 39.7) at the wounded side. (p < 0.001). The difference between the groups in thickness of normal septal mucosa was also statistically significant (p = 0.016) [190 µ (± 14.6) and 256.66 µ (± 44.66)]. The average cilia level was observed 1.16 in the wounded study group, while the average level was 2.33 in the wounded control group (p = 0.012). Average score measurements of the regenerated mucosa suggested that isotretinoin-given wounded animals have reduced goblet cell recovery, compared to the control both on the regenerated and unwounded mucosas (p = 0.007, p = 0.002, respectively). Inflammation was significantly higher in the wounded isotretinoin group (p = 0.018). CONCLUSION: Oral isotretinoin has negative effects on epithelial and ciliary regeneration, significantly reduces mucosal thickness and goblet cell counts of the normal and regenerated mucosa, causes severe inflammation and significant reactive changes.

Gastric Decompression Decreases Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in ENT Surgery.

There is a passive blood flow to the stomach during oral and nasal surgery. It may cause postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). We researched the relationship between gastric decompression (GD) and severity of PONV in ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgery. 137 patients who have been into ENT surgery were included in the study. In Group I (n = 70), patients received GD after surgery before extubation; patients in Group II (n = 67) did not receive GD. In postoperative 2nd, 4th, 8th, and 12th hours, the number and ratio of patients demonstrating PONV were detected to be significantly more in Group II as compared to Group I. PONV was also significantly more severe in Group II as compared to Group I. In Group I, the PONV ratio in the 2nd hour was significantly more for those whose amounts of stomach content aspired were more than 10 mL as compared to those whose stomach content aspired was less than 10 mL. In the 4th, 8th, and 24th hours, there is no statistically significant difference between the stomach content aspired and PONV ratio. GD reduces the incidence and severity of PONV in ENT surgery.

The impact of pharyngeal repair time and suture frequency on the development of pharyngocutaneous fistula after total laryngectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF) is the most common postoperative complication after total laryngectomy. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between PCF with pharyngeal repair time and the number of mucosal sutures. METHODS: The medical records of 47 patients who underwent total laryngectomy were assessed prospectively. The pharyngeal repair time and the number of horizontal, vertical, and cricopharyngeal muscle sutures were recorded. We observed the occurrence of PCF in 14 patients (29.8%). The mean time for pharyngeal repair in the PCF group was 22 minutes 59 seconds ± 5 minutes, and the mean number of vertical, horizontal, and cricopharyngeal muscle sutures was 8.57 ± 2.6, 11.14 ± 2.1, and 8.45 ± 1.9, respectively. The mean time for pharyngeal repair in the non-PCF group was 22 minutes 21 seconds ± 5 minutes, and the mean number of vertical, horizontal, and cricopharyngeal muscle sutures was 9.54 ± 2.6, 10.84 ± 2.3, and 7.36 ± 2.7, respectively. The differences in the pharyngeal repair time and the number of vertical, horizontal, and cricopharyngeal sutures between the 2 groups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Besides, there was no statistically significant difference between the mean suture counts per centimeter in horizontal plane (1.46 ± 0.35) and vertical plane (0.98 ± 0.25) in the PCF group and the mean suture counts per centimeter in horizontal plane (1.42 ± 0.37) and vertical plane (1.13 ± 0.3) in the non-PCF group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There was no relation between PCF development with pharyngeal repair time, mucosal suture count, and suture frequency after total laryngectomy.