Stapedectomy surgery in residency: KTP-532 laser versus argon laser.

Stapedectomy for otosclerosis is one of the most demanding otologic procedures, especially for residents in training. The reported series in the literature, as well as our own experience with the traditional resident-performed complete stapedectomy, have been disappointing. The number of patients available to train residents in stapedectomy techniques has steadily declined. The challenge to the otologist involved in teaching residents and fellows is to find a method that will be safe and effective. Over the past 5 years, we have had an opportunity at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston to compare two methods of performing a laser stapedotomy. The two methods involve using the KTP-532 laser with a micromanipulator and using the hand-held argon laser. Although the wavelengths of these two lasers are similar, the methods used in applying them are very different. Twenty-five consecutive cases in each group were reviewed with regards to technical difficulty, complication rate, operative time, and air-borne gap closure. The hand-held argon laser emerged as the preferred technique for teaching a routine stapedotomy to residents.

Role of irregular otolith afferents in the steady-state nystagmus during off-vertical axis rotation.

1. During constant velocity off-vertical axis rotations (OVAR) in the dark a compensatory ocular nystagmus is present throughout rotation despite the lack of a maintained signal from the semicircular canals. Lesion experiments and canal plugging have attributed the steady-state ocular nystagmus during OVAR to inputs from the otolith organs and have demonstrated that it depends on an intact velocity storage mechanism. 2. To test whether irregularly discharging otolith afferents play a crucial role in the generation of the steady-state eye nystagmus during OVAR, we have used anodal (inhibitory) currents bilaterally to selectively and reversibly block irregular vestibular afferent discharge. During delivery of DC anodal currents (100 microA) bilaterally to both ears, the slow phase eye velocity of the steady-state nystagmus during OVAR was reduced or completely abolished. The disruption of the steady-state nystagmus was transient and lasted only during the period of galvanic stimulation. 3. To distinguish a possible effect of ablation of the background discharge rates of irregular vestibular afferents on the velocity storage mechanism from specific contributions of the dynamic responses from irregular otolith afferents to the circuit responsible for the generation of the steady-state nystagmus, bilateral DC anodal galvanic stimulation was applied during optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) and optokinetic afternystagmus (OKAN). No change in OKN and OKAN was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Autologous fibrin tissue adhesive for ossicular reconstruction in cats.

Autologous fibrin tissue adhesive is currently the most promising adhesive for otologic use with respect to strength and biocompatibility without the risk of transmissable disease that is of concern with the commercially prepared fibrin adhesive. We set out to evaluate the practicality of preparing autologous fibrin adhesive in cats and to see if the adhesive's duration and strength of bonding was sufficient to allow natural tissue union to occur with various grafting materials. Autologous fibrin adhesive was prepared preoperatively from ten cats using the ammonium sulfate precipitation technique. Twenty otologic procedures were performed in which the incus long process was resected and the defect bridged with one of four grafting materials: autograft ossicular bone, bone pate-fibrin glue, porous hydroxylapatite, and Plastipore-bone pate. All grafts were secured with the autologous adhesive. The cats were sacrificed at 6 and 12 weeks. We found the the autologous adhesive provided adequate duration and strength of support to enable a firm tissue union between all the grafting materials and the adjoining incus and stapes.

Posttympanostomy otorrhea: the efficacy of canal preparation.

Otorrhea is the most common posttympanostomy complication. This study is designed to determine the efficacy of canal preparation prior to tympanostomy tube placement. One hundred thirty ears were prospectively randomized into prepared (Betadine and alcohol) and nonprepared (control) groups. Cultures obtained before, during, and after preparation were analyzed to determine the external canal flora and effectiveness of sterilization. Prepared ears and nonprepared control ears were examined for relation to otorrhea. Forty percent of the canals were sterile before preparation, and only 8% harbored suspected pathogenic organisms. Canal preparation successfully sterilized only 33% of the ears that contained bacteria. There was no difference in the otorrhea incidence among treatment groups (9.8%). Based on these bacteriologic and clinical findings, it is concluded that canal preparation with Betadine and alcohol does not reduce posttympanostomy otorrhea.

Stapedectomy techniques in residency training.

The KTP-532 laser has decreased the technical difficulty involved in teaching and performing a stapedectomy in our residency program. Use of this laser has resulted in improved hearing and a decreased number of major and minor complications compared to an equal number of large fenestra stapedectomies performed with hand-held instruments. The major disadvantages of the KTP-532 laser are its cost and limited availability, and the inconvenience of a micromanipulator. The laser should not be relied upon entirely in performing a stapedotomy on a thick footplate. The University of Texas Medical Branch experience in training residents in both large and small fenestra stapedectomy is reported.

Post-tympanostomy otorrhea: a randomized clinical trial of topical prophylaxis.

Myringotomy with the insertion of tympanostomy tubes has become the most frequently performed otolaryngologic procedure, and otorrhea is the most common post-tympanostomy complication. Many otolaryngologists routinely use prophylactic topical antibiotic solutions when performing tympanostomy tube placement. Relatively little has been written regarding early post-tympanostomy otorrhea and scarcely any examining the efficacy of such prophylaxis. The current study is a randomized clinical trial to critically evaluate the efficacy of prophylactic otic drops after tympanostomy tube placement. The ototoxic potential of these solutions, combined with constant pressures to decrease medication expenses and eliminate unnecessary use of antibiotics, makes determination of the shortest effective course of application paramount. Subjects were randomized at the time of surgery into one of three groups: one group received no prophylaxis, a second group received gentamicin otic drops immediately after tympanostomy tube placement in the operating room only, and the third group received an additional 48 hours of drops (4 drops in each ear, three times a day). All patients were seen within 2 weeks postoperatively. An overall early post-tympanostomy otorrhea incidence of 8.7% is documented with 12%, 8.8%, and 5.6% for each study group, respectively. While these findings may suggest possible efficacy of topical prophylaxis, a statistically significant difference between the treatment groups was not proved (p = 0.62). Further analysis by subdivision of the patients, on the basis of middle ear cavity finding at the time of surgery, reveals a highly significant statistical association of the occurrence of post-tympanostomy otorrhea in ears having mucoid effusions (p less than 0.001) as compared to ears without effusion or with serous effusions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Resident work hours and working environment in otolaryngology. Analysis of daily activity and resident perception.

OBJECTIVE: --To analyze the working environment and work hours of a cohort of otolaryngology--head and neck surgery residents. DESIGN: --Environmental analysis questionnaire and a log of daily activities. SETTING: --Residents were on a clinical rotation system. PARTICIPANTS: --Fifty-nine residents from six programs, including three public and three private institutions, from geographically diverse regions of the country were involved in the study. Residents were equally distributed from their second year through their fifth year of postgraduate work. All eligible residents participated in and completed the study. INTERVENTION: --The environmental analysis survey was designed to elicit resident perception of different aspects of their working environment. The daily activity log required the resident to report on activities for each half-hour period for 7 consecutive days. RESULTS: --Residents were on call an average of 52.8 hours (2.2 days) and worked 79.4 hours per week. Seventy-five percent believed that the level of faculty supervision and the degree of resident responsibility was about right. Two major inefficiencies were the time involved in completion of paperwork and the lack of nonmedical support services. Thirty-one percent of the residents responded that fatigue resulted in substandard patient care 10% of the time. Forty-seven percent responded that their educational experience was substandard 25% of the time secondary to fatigue. Two thirds responded that the demands of residency training had a negative impact on their family and personal life. CONCLUSIONS: --Seventy percent of the otolaryngology--head and neck surgery residents surveyed at six institutions believe that an 80-hour workweek, including being on call every third night with no more than 24 hours of continuous work without sleep, approximates a reasonable, maximum work schedule. Residents working the longest hours expressed concern about rendering substandard care and developing negative attitudes toward patients. Noneducational inefficiencies were identified and solutions were proposed. Demands of residency training, even within guidelines established as reasonable, can have detrimental effects on residents' educational activities and personal life.

A comparison of the KTP/532-laser tonsillectomy vs. traditional dissection/snare tonsillectomy.

This study compared tonsillectomy by potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP/532) laser with tonsillectomy by traditional dissection and snare. Eighty-three consecutive patients who were candidates for a tonsillectomy were randomly assigned to one of four groups in a prospective study. The four treatments were bilateral traditional dissection/snare tonsillectomy, bilateral KTP/532-laser tonsillectomy, left laser tonsillectomy and right dissection/snare tonsillectomy, and left dissection/snare tonsillectomy and right laser tonsillectomy. Intraoperative comparisons were made between the two methods with regard to blood loss and operating time. Postoperatively bleeding and healing time were also recorded. A questionnaire answered on a daily basis assessed the patient's pain. Disadvantages of the KTP/532 tonsillectomy included increased cost, increased total operating time as a result of increased setup time and laser malfunctions, delayed healing, and no statistically significant improvement in level of pain. The sole advantage associated with the KTP/532 laser tonsillectomy was decreased blood loss, which may be significant for patients with a coagulopathy.

Central neuromodulation of gastric acid secretion by bombesin-like peptides.

The amphibian skin tetrapeptide bombesin shows potent action in reducing gastric acid secretion by intracerebral ventricular (ICV) administration in rats. In order to establish a relationship between this action and the amino acid composition of the bombesin-like peptides, most of the natural bombesin-like peptides and some synthetic analogues were tested on their ability to reduce gastric acid secretion by ICV administration. The amphibian peptides bombesin, its [Tyr4]-bombesin analogue, alytesin, ranatensin and litorin, and the mammalian peptide GRP significantly reduced gastric acid output 2 hr after peptide administration (p less than 0.01). The data support the following prerequisites for the maximal neuromodulatory role of bombesin-like peptides on gastric secretion: Trp is required at position 8; Gln and His are important at positions 7 and 12, respectively; Leu replacement by Phe, which occurs in the litorin subfamily, modifies the response; and unspecified amino acids or sequences are also involved in the N-terminal region of bombesin-like peptides. Synthetic analogues are currently being tested to confirm and extend these conclusions.