Centripetal Versus Centrifugal Facial Nerve Dissection in Superficial Parotidectomy: Comparison of the Two Methods at a Tertiary Care Center.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the intraoperative and postoperative parameters of two techniques of facial nerve dissection: Centripetal vs Centrifugal. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Academic tertiary referral centre. METHODS: In our study, cases of superficial parotidectomy were randomly selected from the outpatient departments of ORL & HNS. Of these patients, 30 underwent standard anterograde dissection group (Group A) and 30 underwent retrograde facial nerve dissection (Group B). All the patients were assessed pre-operatively, intra-operatively and post-operatively to compare the various parameters. RESULTS: The most common complaint in both groups was parotid swelling. The operative time for A was shorter at 2.1 h as compared to 1.9 h min in group B. The resolution of symptoms was nearly comparable in both groups. Facial nerve palsy was slightly more in group B but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The operative time and post-operative complications were both comparable between AFND and RFND, implying both techniques can be used by surgeons depending on the individual cases.

Narrow Band Imaging Technology: Role in the Detection of Recurrent Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancers Post-radiotherapy.

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of NBI endoscopy for the diagnosis of early recurrent laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers after radiotherapy. The study was conducted over a period of two and a half years from June 2019 to February 2022 and included 123 post-RT patients with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers. The patients were planned for endoscopy with white light and narrow-band imaging. The biopsy was carried out in NBI suspected lesions and sent for histopathological examination. The pathologist was blinded to the outcome of NBI and WLE results to eliminate observer bias. The age group most commonly affected in our study was 40-50 years. Out of the 123 patients, 106 were males and 17 were females. The overall Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive predictive value and Negative predictive value of NBI for malignant lesions were 90.6%, 99%, 95.2% and 98% respectively. NBI Technology is a first-rate diagnostic tool that can help in diagnosing early recurrent cancer lesions, especially after RT, in which the recurrence is otherwise difficult to differentiate from post-radiotherapy oedema. This technology can significantly reduce the rates of failure to detect cancers in early stages.

Comparison of Conventional Nasal Douching with Corticosteroid Nasal Douching in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Patients Post Surgery.

Objectives: Chronic rhinosinusitis has a preponderance for recurrence even after functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Nasal Douching with saline has been used for decades as a treatment and as an adjunct following surgery. Steroid nasal wash has been introduced recently for the postoperative management of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of postoperative steroid irrigation in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with and without polyps. Methods: This prospective study was done over a period of 2 years involving 70 chronic rhinosinusitis patients with and without nasal polyps who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery. The patients were divided into two groups, in group A, patients were given saline nasal douching and in group B, the budesonide nasal douching. The 22-item Sinonasal Outcomes Test (SNOT-22) and Lund-Kennedy endoscopy scores were checked before and 1, 2, 4, and 6 months after the nasal irrigation. Results: In group A, the mean SNOT-22 score improved from 52.5 ± 9.1 before irrigation to 22.1 ± 11.3 after 6 months of irrigation. The LK endoscopy score also improved from 7.2 ± 2.1 before irrigation to 2.1 ± 1.2 after 6 months. In group B, the mean SNOT-22 score improved from 48.9 ± 10.6 before irrigation to 19.8 ± 11.7 after 6 months of irrigation. The endoscopy score also improved from 6.9 ± 2.3 before irrigation to 1.5 ± 1.1 after 6 months. The mean SNOT-22 and Lund-Kennedy scores improved in both groups. Group B with budesonide irrigation was found to have improved significantly than the saline nasal irrigation group, however, the difference between the 2 groups was not significant. Conclusion: Nasal douching with budesonide is an effective postoperative treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps. The addition of budesonide in douching improves the quality of life and reduces the chance of recurrence.

Tissue Transfer After Tongue Resection: Micro-Vascular Reconstruction Using Radial Artery Free Flap versus Reconstruction by Split Thickness Skin Graft in T2 Lesions of Tongue Carcinoma.

To compare postoperative complications, functional rehabilitation, surgical outcomes of the radial artery forearm free flap (RAFFF) and split thickness skin graft (STSG) reconstruction of postsurgical defect in T2 lesions of cancer oral cavity. Observational Prospective comparative study. Academic tertiary referral centre. In our study of forty four patients, after tumour resection, half underwent reconstruction using RAFFF (Group I) and another half by STSG (Group II). All of the patients were followed postoperatively to determine and compare their functional outcomes related to donor site and recipient site complications, speech, deglutition and mouth opening. The speech intelligibility and deglutition were each assessed using Articulation Handicap Index and Vedio-fluoroscopy using the Functional oral intake scale. Operative time for STSG reconstruction was shorter at 2.2 ± 0.97 SD hours compared to 5.9 ± 1.24 SD hours for RAFFF reconstruction. Hospital stay was 8.3 ± 1.19 SD days for STSG patients and 12.6 ± 1.7 SD days for RAFFF patients. The functional outcomes of speech quality and swallowing were near comparable in both groups but the donor site complications were significant in the RAFFF group. Operative time, hospital stay and donor site complications are both significantly reduced with the STSG as opposed to RAFF. Functional and oncologic results of both methods are near comparable. To conclude, STSG can be used for reconstruction of the post-surgical defects in T2 lesions of the tongue.

Neuro-otological Symptoms: An Atypical Aspect of COVID-19 Disease.

This study aimed to evaluate the various neuro-otological symptoms experienced by patients with COVID-19 disease. This is a retrospective study conducted from September 2020 to August 2021. Patients with positive RTPCR tests for COVID-19, aged between 18 and 60 years were included in the study. The patients were assessed for neuro-otological symptoms, the type, frequency, and character of these symptoms, their relation with age, gender and COVID-19 disease. Of the 286 patients, 64 (22.3%) had neuro-otological symptoms. The mean age of the patients was 36.3 ± 8.1 years. The frequency of neuro-otological symptoms was higher in females than males and was more frequent in the age group of 18-30 years as compared with other age groups. Of these 64 patients, 29 had vertigo (10.1%), 21 (7.3%) tinnitus, 16 (5.5%) experienced hearing loss. Like many viral diseases, apart from its typical prodromal symptoms, COVID-19 can also cause symptoms like tinnitus, hearing loss, and vertigo.

Endoscopic Adenoidectomy Replacing the Outdated Curette Adenoidectomy: Comparison of the Two Methods at a Tertiary Care Centre.

To compare intraoperative and postoperative parameters of the two techniques of adenoidectomy, endoscope and microdebrider powered adenoidectomy and conventional adenoidectomy. Study Design Prospective study. Setting: Academic tertiary referral centre. In our study, cases of adenoid hypertrophy were randomly selected from the outpatient department of department of ORL & HNS. Out of these patients, 30 underwent Endoscopic adenoidectomy (EA) (Group A) and 30 underwent Conventional adenoidectomy (CA) (Group B). All of the patients were assessed pre-operatively, intra-operatively and post-operatively to compare the various parameters. The most common complaint in both the groups was mouth breathing with snoring. Intra-operative bleeding was 29.15 ml in group EA and 15.2 ml in group CA. Operative time for CA was shorter at 21.8 min as compared to 32.1 min for group EA. Residual adenoids and injury to adjacent structures were more common in group CA. Hospital stay was 3.2 days for EA patients and 3.43 days for CA patients. Resolution of symptoms was near comparable in both groups. Operative time and intra-operative bleeding are both significantly reduced with the CA as opposed to EA. However, injury to adjacent structures and residual adenoids occur significantly less in group EA. After weighing the risks and benefits, we can conclude that EA is comparatively better than CA.