Validating the VS-5 Score for Predicting Outcomes After Vestibular Schwannoma Resection in an Institutional Cohort.

Background: The VS-5 index was recently proposed to predict complications, nonroutine discharge, length of stay (LOS), and cost after vestibular schwannoma (VS) resection. The VS-5 ranges from 0-17.86, and a score ≥2 was proposed as being predictive of postoperative adverse events.

Intratympanic steroid treatments rescued recurrent hearing loss following COVID-19 vaccination and detection of an intralabyrinthine schwannoma.

It remains unclear how to effectively treat rare cases of sudden and recurrent hearing losses which might coincidently follow vaccination. We report the first case, to our knowledge, of systemic and local steroid administration to successfully treat sudden and recurrent left-ear hearing loss, respectively, following a second dose of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 mRNA vaccination which inflammatory response potentially affected an existing left intralabyrinthine schwannoma in a young male patient. This case highlights the importance and timing of intratympanic steroid treatment strategies to suppress the progressive symptoms and restore hearing to a stable condition, and therefore avoid permanent hearing loss which would otherwise demand a surgical removal of the schwannoma to improve vertigo and reconstitute artificial hearing.

Long-Term Hearing Outcomes From Gamma Knife Treatment for Vestibulocochlear Nerve Schwannomas in a Large, Tertiary Care, Academic Hospital.

Objective: Describe long-term hearing outcomes with audiologic data with modern stereotactic radiosurgery techniques for vestibular schwannoma tumors.

Background: Since the mid-20th century, stereotactic radiosurgery has been an option for central nervous system tumors. Due to the non-invasive manner of treatment, this was extended to treatment for benign vestibular schwannomas without intracranial surgery.

Listening to speech with a guinea pig-to-human brain-to-brain interface.

Nicolelis wrote in his 2003 review on brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) that the design of a successful BMI relies on general physiological principles describing how neuronal signals are encoded. Our study explored whether neural information exchanged between brains of different species is possible, similar to the information exchange between computers. We show for the first time that single words processed by the guinea pig auditory system are intelligible to humans who receive the processed information via a cochlear implant.

Publicly Reported Patient Satisfaction Scores in Academic Otolaryngology Departments.

Objectives/hypothesis: Despite controversy regarding their impact and validity, there is a rising national focus on patient satisfaction scores (PSS). We describe the landscape of online PSS as posted by academic otolaryngology practices.

Study Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.

Twice as Nice: How Doubling Otolaryngology Rotation Time Affects the Intern Experience Nationwide.

Objectives: Describe the current state of otolaryngologic residency training with recent changes to the program requirements by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) which increased the amount of time on intern year otolaryngology rotations from 3 to 6 months.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed and recruitment was done via personalized email sent to program coordinators of 113 ACGME-accredited otolaryngology training programs within the Unites States. The message requested a breakdown of the amount of time and specialty in which first year otolaryngologic residents rotated.

Prevalence of and Associations With Distress and Professional Burnout Among Otolaryngologists: Part I, Trainees.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of distress and burnout in otolaryngology trainees, including associations with relevant sociodemographic and professional factors, and to compare these results with those of attending otolaryngologists.

Study Design: A cross-sectional survey of trainees and attending physicians.

Setting: Twelve academic otolaryngology programs.

Prevalence of and Associations With Distress and Professional Burnout Among Otolaryngologists: Part II, Attending Physicians.

Objective: To ascertain the prevalence of and associations with distress and professional burnout among academic otolaryngology attending physicians.

Study Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: Twelve US academic otolaryngology programs.

A survey of personal protective equipment use among US otolaryngologists during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: Describe current practices and challenges in personal protective equipment (PPE) use among US otolaryngologists during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Study Design: Online survey.

Setting: Academic and non-academic healthcare institutions.

Measuring the health utility of chronic eustachian tube dysfunction.

Objective: To assess the health utility of chronic Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD).

Methods: This is a prospective study of 53 patients with chronic ETD recruited from a tertiary clinic from April 2017 to July 2018. The 7-Item Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7) was administered, and health utility was evaluated using the EuroQol-5 Dimensions-3 Level Instrument (EQ-5D-3L), the visual analogue scale (VAS), time tradeoff (TTO), and standard gamble (SG).

A Within-Subject Comparison of Bimodal Hearing, Bilateral Cochlear Implantation, and Bilateral Cochlear Implantation With Bilateral Hearing Preservation: High-Performing Patients.

Objective: To compare speech understanding with bimodal hearing and bilateral cochlear implants (CIs).

Study Design: Within-subjects, repeated-measures.

Methods: Speech understanding was assessed in the following conditions: unilateral hearing aid (HA) in the non-implanted ear, unilateral CI, bimodal (CI + HA), and bilateral CI.

Clinical practice guideline: Bell's palsy.

Objective: Bell's palsy, named after the Scottish anatomist, Sir Charles Bell, is the most common acute mono-neuropathy, or disorder affecting a single nerve, and is the most common diagnosis associated with facial nerve weakness/paralysis. Bell's palsy is a rapid unilateral facial nerve paresis (weakness) or paralysis (complete loss of movement) of unknown cause. The condition leads to the partial or complete inability to voluntarily move facial muscles on the affected side of the face.

Clinical practice guideline: Bell's Palsy executive summary.

The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) has published a supplement to this issue featuring the new Clinical Practice Guideline: Bell's Palsy. To assist in implementing the guideline recommendations, this article summarizes the rationale, purpose, and key action statements. The 11 recommendations developed encourage accurate and efficient diagnosis and treatment and, when applicable, facilitate patient follow-up to address the management of long-term sequelae or evaluation of new or worsening symptoms not indicative of Bell's palsy.

Complicated necrotizing otitis externa.

Necrotizing (malignant) otitis externa (NOE) is a rare and invasive infection originating in the external acoustic meatus seen most commonly in diabetes and other immunocompromised states. After a protracted course, disease can smolder and extend into the mastoid, skull base, dural sinuses, and intracranially. We present a case of NOE complicated by mastoiditis, dural sinus thrombosis, and Bezold's abscess in an uncontrolled diabetic presenting with a prolonged course of facial nerve palsy.

Tissue resistivities determine the current flow in the cochlea.

Purpose Of Review: In individuals with severe to profound hearing loss, cochlear implants bypass normal inner ear function by applying electrical current directly into the cochlea, thereby stimulating cochlear nerve fibers. Stimulating discrete populations of spiral ganglion cells in cochlear implant users' ears is similar to the encoding of small acoustic frequency bands in a normal-hearing person's ear. Thus, spiral ganglion cells stimulated by an electrode convey the information contained by a small acoustic frequency band.

Electrical resistivity measurements in the mammalian cochlea after neural degeneration.

Objectives/hypothesis: In the present series of experiments, the effect of neural degeneration on the cochlear structure electrical resistivities was evaluated to test if it alters the current flow in the cochlea and if increased current levels are needed to stimulate the impaired cochlea. In cochlear implants, frequency information is encoded in part by stimulating discrete populations of spiral ganglion cells along the cochlea. However, electrical properties of the cochlear structures result in shunting of the current away from the auditory neurons.