Zoom Boom or Bust? Understanding Post-Pandemic Interest in Facial Plastic Surgery via Google Trends.

Objective: To understand post-pandemic interest in plastic surgery procedures via Joinpoint analysis of Google Trends search data.

Methods: Google Trends was used to quantify search volumes from January 2019-December 2022 for select cosmetic face and body procedures in the United States. A keyword analytic tool (Keywords Everywhere) extracted absolute search volumes (average monthly searches).

Polyfracture and Cranial Injuries Drive the Cost and Inpatient Burden of Zygoma Fractures.

Importance: Facial trauma makes up a significant number of emergency room visits, with morbidity costs in excess of 1 billion dollars each year. Few studies have evaluated the economic outcomes of management and inpatient burden of facial trauma, most focusing solely on the mandible and isolated midface fractures.

Objective: The authors aim to evaluate characteristics associated with increased cost and length of hospitalization of zygoma fracture management.

Augmented otorhinologic evaluation in telemedical visits.

Purpose: To determine if an endoscopic otologic and rhinologic examination performed by a patient and interpreted remotely by an otolaryngologist is non-inferior to in-person examination, and to assess the feasibility of this system for telemedical visits.

Materials And Methods: Twenty healthy subjects performed a self-examination of their ears and nose using a commercially available endoscope under remote guidance by an otolaryngology provider over Zoom. This same provider and another otolaryngologist also performed separate, in-person examinations of each subject and rated their findings.

Augmented Virtual Examination for Cosmetic and Functional Rhinoplasty.

Few studies have critically evaluated the quality of data obtained during telemedical evaluations of patients with nasal complaints. To compare the quality of data provided by remote endoscopic and external nasal examination with those by in-person evaluations for rhinoplasty and functional nasal surgery, measured by detectability of anatomic features, and to assess associated patient experience measured by reported ease, discomfort, and likelihood of peer recommendation. Twenty healthy subjects performed a nasal self-examination using an endoscope and webcam under remote videoconferencing service (VCS) guidance.

Consultations for Foreign Bodies in Aerodigestive Tract: Assessment of Diagnostic Modalities.

Objective: To evaluate test characteristics of various diagnostic modalities in the workup of foreign body (FB) sensation in the aerodigestive tract.

Methods: Database containing all inpatient otolaryngology consultations between 2008 and 2020 was used. Cases of FB sensation were identified by documented encounter diagnosis or hospital problem of FB or globus sensation.

Essential inpatient otolaryngology: what COVID-19 has revealed.

Purpose: To identify areas of critical otolaryngology contributions to inpatient care resistant to disruption by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Medical records of 614 otolaryngology consults seen between January and June of 2019 and 602 seen between January and June of 2020 were reviewed. Extracted data included patient demographics, SARS-CoV-2 status, medical comorbidities, consult location, consult category, reason for consult, procedures performed, and overall outcome.

Telemedicine lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic: The augmented outpatient otolaryngology teleconsultation.

Purpose: Telemedicine use in otolaryngology waxed and waned during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in the U.S. Assessing the patterns of telemedicine use and its perceived limitations during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 allows identification and correction of impediments to consistent telemedicine use by otolaryngologists.

Prolonged Duration Local Anesthesia by Combined Delivery of Capsaicin- and Tetrodotoxin-Loaded Liposomes.

Background: Capsaicin, the active component of chili peppers, can produce sensory-selective peripheral nerve blockade. Coadministration of capsaicin and tetrodotoxin, a site-1 sodium channel blocker, can achieve a synergistic effect on duration of nerve blocks. However, capsaicin can be neurotoxic, and tetrodotoxin can cause systemic toxicity.

Polymer-tetrodotoxin conjugates to induce prolonged duration local anesthesia with minimal toxicity.

There is clinical and scientific interest in developing local anesthetics with prolonged durations of effect from single injections. The need for such is highlighted by the current opioid epidemic. Site 1 sodium channel blockers such as tetrodotoxin (TTX) are extremely potent, and can provide very long nerve blocks but the duration is limited by the associated systemic toxicity.

Hollow Silica Nanoparticles Penetrate the Peripheral Nerve and Enhance the Nerve Blockade from Tetrodotoxin.

The efficacy of tetrodotoxin (TTX), a very potent local anesthetic, is limited by its poor penetration through barriers to axonal surfaces. To address this issue, we encapsulated TTX in hollow silica nanoparticles (TTX-HSN) and injected them at the sciatic nerve in rats. TTX-HSN achieved an increased frequency of successful blocks, prolonged the duration of the block, and decreased the toxicity compared to free TTX.