A brief review of voice restoration following total laryngectomy.

Despite advances in conservative laryngeal surgery and radiotherapy, total laryngectomy still remains the procedure of choice for advanced-stage (UICC T3 and T4) laryngeal carcinoma, around the world. The functional rehabilitation of the laryngectomized patients has been a concern of head and neck surgeons and speech therapists. Significant developments in speech rehabilitation over the past three decades have led to substantial improvements in the quality of life of these patients. The tracheoesophageal (TE) voice prosthesis has become the gold standard in various centers for voice rehabilitation since its introduction in 1980. Successful tracheoesophageal voice restoration in laryngectomy patients can be very rewarding and patients no longer have to live in silence while they await the results of their cancer treatments. They can face the challenges of life with the knowledge that a near normal quality of life is very much possible.In this article, we present a brief review of voice restoration following laryngectomy.

Comparative study of outcome of type I tympanoplasty in dry and wet ear.

Chronic suppurative otitis media is a common condition seen in patients attending the otolaryngology clinic. The discharging ear presents the otologist with the dilemma of operating on it or not. This due to the widespread belief that the success rate while doing tympanoplasty on wet ears is decidedly inferior. To evaluate this fact we conducted a study to compare outcomes of type 1 tympanoplasty in dry and wet ears. Wet ear meant that the patient had a mild mucoid discharge which was negative on culture. Type 1 tympanoplasty was done in all patients under local anesthesia using temporalis fascia graft and by underlay technique. We conclude that the presence of discharge in the ear at the time of operation does not interfere with the results of tympanoplasty, but it should be mucoid and scanty.

Bomb blast injury: effect on middle and inner ear.

OBJECTIVE: To study the symptomatology, clinical findings and the effects of blast injury on middle and inner ear in survivors of bomb blast. Settings City of Mumbai, India. METHODS: The study group consisted of 52 patients exposed to the bomb blast that occurred on 25th August 2003. RESULT AND ANALYSIS: The distance of the victim from the blast site has no major infiuence in producing effects on middle and inner ear in our study of the surviving individuals. Rupture of the tympanic membrane occurs due to the positive wave but both everted and inverted edges can be found in multiple perforations of the tympanic membrane.

Hemangiopericytoma like tumor - a diagnostic challenge.

Haemangjopericytoma is a vascular tumour rarely seen in common practice, especially in head & neck. Hemangjopericytoma - like tumor is an even more rare entity and only 70 cases have been described arising from the nose & paranasal sinuses. The aim of this paper is to review the literature and highlight the ability of the tumor to masquerade as a less ominous, more commonly occurring benign growth of the region thereby making the diagnosis even more elusive.

Reconstruction of mandible with free fibular vascular graft.

This is a case report of ameloblastoma of left mandible. It was treated with left extended hemimandibulectomy with free fibular vascular graft.

An unusual massive head-neck tumor and its surgical management.

An unusually massive (15cm x 15cm x 15cm)and heavy tumor, (2.85 kg) one of the largest of its kind, was present in a sixty years old male patient who attended the E.N.T. out-patient depart-ment. The patient was Australia antigen positive. The case presented a surgical challenge be-cause of its large size and skin adherence. Complete excision of the tumor and closure of the resultant facial defect, (5cm. x 5cm) with split-thickness skin graft was the treatment modality followed. There is no recurrence, and the prognosis appears to be good.