The post-operative tonsillectomy (POPT) study: A multi-centre prospective paediatric cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Tonsillectomy is the most common operation performed by otolaryngologists in the UK, despite this we have a poor understanding of the post-operative recovery. We aimed to investigate post-operative bleeding and pain following paediatric tonsillectomy using a patient diary. DESIGN: Prospective observational cohort study. SETTING: Multi-centre study involving 12 secondary and tertiary otolaryngology units across the North of England. Patients were recruited from 1st March 2020 to 30th June 2022. Multilevel ordered logistic regression model statistics were performed. PARTICIPANTS: Children (≥4 years, ≤16 years) undergoing tonsillectomy (with or without adenoidectomy) for benign pathology. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Frequency and severity of post-operative bleeding. Intensity and pattern of post-operative pain. RESULTS: In total 297 children were recruited, with 91 (30.6%) diaries eligible for analysis. Post-operative bleeding occurred in 44% of children. Most frequently blood in the saliva was reported (82.9%). Increasing age significantly increased bleeding odds by 17% per year (p = .001). Bleeding frequency decreased with higher surgeon grade (p = .003) and when performing intracapsular coblation tonsillectomy (p = .02) compared with other techniques. Lower age and intracapsular coblation tonsillectomy, against other techniques, significantly reduced rates of pain post-operatively (p < .0001 and p = .0008). CONCLUSION: A high level of low-level post-operative bleeding was observed. Pain scores remained high for 5 days post-operatively then gradually reduce to normal by day 13. Intracapsular coblation tonsillectomy appears to be superior to all other techniques in terms of reducing post-operative bleeding and pain. These findings should be used to guide patients in the consent process to inform them of the expected nature of post-surgical recovery.

Mixed Reality Enhanced Otolaryngology Case-Based Learning: A Randomized Educational Study.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions to medical education. Education in medical specialties, such as otolaryngology faces multiple challenges, including reduced bedside and "hands-on" training opportunities at all levels. Educators are turning to technological advancements to deliver effective remote medical education. This study investigated the value of enhancing traditional remote case-based teaching with the HoloLens2™. METHODS: We present a randomized educational design study. All educational content, media, and learning outcomes were identical. Primary outcome measures included student performance as measured with pre- and post-intervention quizzes and student engagement as measured by a tally-mark system. Secondary outcome measures, collected using feedback questionnaires, included perceived enjoyment, engagement, and opinions regarding the educational role of this technology. RESULTS: The undergraduate medical students were randomized to either conventional or HoloLens2™ enhanced remote case-based teaching (n = 56). HoloLens2™ enhanced teaching improved student performance by an average of 3 marks of 15% (p < 0.001). It was engaging and encouraged questions 4-fold per session (p < 0.05) when compared to conventional remote case-based teaching. There was no significant difference in overall objective measurements of engagement. Students taught using HoloLens2™ agreed that the teaching was enjoyable, effective in concept demonstration, and encouraged engagement. CONCLUSIONS: Remote teaching has allowed for the continuation of medical education in uncertain times. Beyond COVID-19, we predict that there will be a paradigm shift toward remote learning as new technological advancements emerges. These novel technologies may prove invaluable in the future potentially enabling education to be delivered between different hospitals, universities, and even overseas. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 133:1606-1613, 2023.

Virtual reality in simulation-based emergency skills training: A systematic review with a narrative synthesis.

Objective: An important role is predicted for virtual reality (VR) in the future of medical education. We performed a systematic review of the literature with a narrative synthesis, to examine the current evidence for VR in simulation-based emergency skills training. We broadly define emergency skills as any clinical skill used in the emergency care of patients across all clinical settings. Methods: This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The data sources accessed during this study included: PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, AMED, EMCARE, HMIC, BNI, PsychINFO, Medline, CENTRAL, SCOPUS, Web of Science, BIOSIS Citation Index, ERIC, ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, and ProQuest Dissertations and Thesis Global. Cochrane's Rob 2 and ROBVIS tools were used during study quality assessment. No ethical review was required for this work. Results: Thirty-four articles published between 14th March 1998 and 1st March 2022 were included in this review. Studies were predominantly conducted in the USA and Europe and focussed on a variety of healthcare disciplines including medical, nursing, and allied health. VR education was delivered using head-mounted displays, Cave Automatic Virtual Environment systems, and bespoke setups. These systems delivered education in a variety of areas (emergency medicine, equipment training, obstetrics, and basic/advanced life support). Subjective potential advantages of this technology included realism, replayability, and time-effectiveness. Reports of adverse events were low in frequency across the included studies. Whilst clear educational benefit was generally noted, this was not reflected in changes to patient-based outcomes. Conclusion: There may be educational benefit to using VR in the context of simulation-based emergency skills training including knowledge gain and retention, skill performance, acceptability, usability, and validity. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate clear cost-effectiveness, or direct improvement of patient or institutional outcomes, at this stage.

Nasal columella reconstruction - A comprehensive review of the current techniques.

The nasal columella is often described as being one of the most difficult nasal subunits to reconstruct. There are a wide range of indications for columella reconstruction, with defects resulting from ischaemic injuries, trauma, tumour resection, vascular malformations and congenital agenesis/dysgenesis of nasal anatomy. There is a variety of columella reconstruction techniques reported in the literature, giving reconstructive surgeons options when approaching different columella defects. Each technique has surgical pearls and pitfalls as well as advantages and disadvantages. This review aims to give reconstructive surgeons a comprehensive review of currently used columella reconstruction techniques.