The effects of a preoperative steroid/anesthetic injection on post-tonsillectomy pain.

We conducted a placebo-controlled, single-blind study to determine the efficacy of a local preoperative injection of a steroid/anesthetic combination in preventing post-tonsillectomy pain. We randomized 21 adults to receive either triamcinolone/bupivacaine on the left side and saline on the right or vice versa. Injections were administered in the area of the tonsillar pillars following intubation and prior to tonsillectomy.

AlloDerm tympanoplasty of tympanic membrane perforations.

Purpose: To study the effectiveness of AlloDerm (LifeCell Corporation, Branchburg, NJ) as a graft material in underlay tympanoplasty by comparison to autologous fascia in a chronic tympanic membrane perforation animal model.

Materials And Methods: Seventeen chinchillas underwent creation of bilateral chronic tympanic membrane perforations over a 6-week period. Twenty-two stable perforations were divided equally between the experimental AlloDerm and control fascia graft groups.