Safety of a Novel Upper Esophageal Sphincter Balloon Dilator.

Objective: The shape of esophageal dilators has not changed in over 350 years. Clinical and animal research suggests that the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) is not round but approximates a kidney shape and that cylindrical dilators may be suboptimal. The Infinity UES Dilation System has been developed specifically for the anatomic configuration of the UES.

The Global Experience of Laryngeal Transplantation: Series of Eleven Patients in Three Continents.

Background: The loss of laryngeal function affects breathing, swallowing, and voice, thus severely compromises quality of life. Laryngeal transplantation has long been suggested as a solution for selected highly affected patients with complete laryngeal function loss.

Objective: To obtain insights regarding the advantages, weaknesses, and limitations of this procedure and facilitate future advances, we collected uniform data from all known laryngeal transplants reported internationally.

Functional Laryngectomy and Quality of Life in Survivors of Head and Neck Cancer With Intractable Aspiration.

Importance: Late effects of head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment include profound dysphagia, chronic aspiration, and death. Functional laryngectomy (FL) can improve patient survival and quality of life (QoL); however, removing a failing larynx for a noncancer reason is a difficult decision. Data regarding the ability of FL to improve self-perceptions of voice, swallowing, and QOL in survivors of HNC with intractable aspiration are inconclusive.

Postoperative Care of Zenker Diverticula: Contemporary Perspective from the Prospective OUtcomes Cricopharyngeaus Hypertonicity (POUCH) Collaborative.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to identify trends in postoperative management of persons undergoing surgery for Zenker diverticula (ZD) by evaluating length of stay (LOS), diet on discharge, and imaging with or without surgical complication.

Methods: Prospectively enrolled adult patients with cricopharyngeal muscle dysfunction with diverticula undergoing surgery from August 1, 2017 to February 1, 2023 were included. Data were extracted from a multi-institutional REDCap database, summarizing means, medians, percentages, and frequencies.

Validation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Italian version of the paediatric eating assessment tool (I-PEDI-EAT-10) in genetic syndromes.

Background: The Pediatric Eating Assessment Tool (PEDI-EAT-10) is a reliable and valid tool for rapid identification of dysphagia in patients aged 18 months to 18 years.

Aims: To translate and adapt the PEDI-EAT-10 into the Italian language and evaluate its validity and reliability.

Methods & Procedures: The translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the tool consisted of five stages: initial translation, synthesis of the translations, back translation, expert committee evaluation and test of the prefinal version.

Clinician accuracy in identifying essential laryngeal landmarks on swallowing fluoroscopy.

Objective: Identification of anatomical landmarks is essential for interpretation of video fluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS). This investigation sought to confirm the location of essential laryngeal landmarks and determine clinician accuracy in structure identification on VFSS.

Methods: A single human cadaver was used to generate unmarked standard lateral and anterior-posterior (AP) fluoroscopic images.

Use of a Novel Hypercrosslinked Carbohydrate Scaffold for Vocal Fold Medialization in an Ovine Model.

Objectives: Vocal fold medialization is commonly performed for glottic insufficiency and vocal fold immobility. Currently available materials are temporary injectables or synthetic implants. Acellular scaffolds may allow vocal fold augmentation with autologous tissue via host cell migration.

Partners of persons with severe swallowing dysfunction have significantly reduced mental health.

Introduction: Dysphagia can result in malnutrition, dehydration, social isolation, depression, pneumonia, pulmonary abscess, and death. The effect of dysphagia on the health and quality of life (QOL) of the life partners of persons with dysphagia is uncertain. We hypothesize that the partners of individuals with significant dysphagia will experience a significant reduction in quality of life.

The efficacy of two commercially available devices for airway foreign body relief: A cadaver study.

Objective: Foreign body aspiration events are frequent in young children and in the geriatric population. They may result in several complications such as hypoxia, edema, cardiac arrest, and death. Recently, two commercially available devices, the LifeVac and DeChoker, have entered the market with the claim of relieving foreign body aspiration.

Interim Results of a Phase 1/2 Open-Label Study of INO-3107 for HPV-6 and/or HPV-11-Associated Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis.

Objective: To evaluate the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of INO-3107, a DNA immunotherapy designed to elicit targeted T-cell responses against human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6 and 11, in adult patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP; NCT04398433).

Methods: Eligible patients required ≥2 surgical interventions for RRP in the year preceding dosing. INO-3107 was administered by intramuscular (IM) injection followed by electroporation (EP) on weeks 0, 3, 6, and 9.

Can EAT-10 Become EAT-5? Improving Measurement Efficiency of Dysphagia with Item Response Theory.

Objectives: To assess: (1) the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) with item response theory (IRT) to determine which individual items provide the most information, (2) the extent to which dysphagia is measured with subsets of items while maintaining precise score estimates, and (3) if 5-item scales have the differing discriminatory ability, as compared to the parent 10-item instrument.

Methods: Prospectively collected data from 2,339 patients who completed the EAT-10 questionnaire during evaluation at a tertiary care otolaryngology clinic were utilized. IRT analyses provided discrimination and location parameters associated with individual questions.

Objective Fluoroscopic Outcomes After Endoscopic Staple Versus Laser Zenker's Diverticulotomy.

Objective: Endoscopic Zenker's diverticulotomy (EZD) is typically performed via stapling (endoscopic staple diverticulotomy; ESD) or CO2 laser (endoscopic laser diverticulotomy; ELD). Conflicting reports exist on which approach provides optimal outcomes. This investigation compared objective fluoroscopic data between ESD and ELD.

Tongue base augmentation to improve swallow function in a cadaveric model.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of using Calcium Hydroxylapatite (CaHA) to augment the tongue base for patients with swallowing impairment due to tongue base atrophy.

Methods: A fresh human cadaver was obtained through the institution's body donation program and baseline lateral fluoroscopic images were obtained. A total of 2 mL of CaHA (Prolaryn Plus) were injected into three sites of the base of tongue under flexible endoscopic guidance with a 22G, 1.

Killian Jamieson Diverticulum, the Great Mimicker: A Case Series and Contemporary Review.

Objective: To assess barium esophagram (BAS) as a diagnostic marker for patients with Killian Jamieson diverticula (KJD).

Methods: Prospective, multicenter cohort study of individuals enrolled in the Prospective OUtcomes of Cricopharyngeus Hypertonicity (POUCH) Collaborative. Patient demographics, comorbidities, radiographic imaging reports, laryngoscopy findings, patient-reported outcome measures (PROM), and operative reporting were abstracted from a REDCap database and summarized using means, medians, percentages, frequencies.

Upper Instrumented Vertebrae, Number of Levels Fused, and Plate Morphology Do Not Affect Severity of Chronic Dysphagia After Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery.

Background: Disordered swallowing, or dysphagia, is the most common complication after anterior cervical spine (ACS) surgery. Many operative factors are associated with development of dysphagia. The aim of this study was to explore how number of levels instrumented, specific levels fused, and plate morphology affect chronic dysphagia after ACS surgery.

Cricopharyngeus Muscle Dysfunction and Hypopharyngeal Diverticula (e.g., Zenker): A Multicenter Study.

Objective: To describe demographics and imaging and compare findings and symptoms at presentation in a large cohort of persons with cricopharyngeus muscle dysfunction (CPMD) with and without hypopharyngeal diverticula.

Methodology: Prospective, multicenter cohort study of all individuals enrolled in the Prospective OUtcomes of Cricopharyngeal Hypertonicity (POUCH) Collaborative. Patient survey, comorbidities, radiography, laryngoscopy findings, and patient-reported outcome measures (e.

Best Practices in Treatment of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease: A Multidisciplinary Modified Delphi Study.

Background: Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is a common otolaryngologic diagnosis. Treatment of presumed LPR remains challenging, and limited frameworks exist to guide treatment.

Methods: Using RAND/University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Appropriateness Methods, a modified Delphi approach identified consensus statements to guide LPR treatment.

A Comparative Assessment of the Diagnosis of Swallowing Impairment and Gastroesophageal Reflux in Canines and Humans.

Swallowing impairment is a highly prevalent and clinically significant problem affecting people and dogs. There are myriad causes of swallowing impairment of which gastroesophageal reflux is the most common in both species. Similarities in anatomy and physiology between humans and canines results in analogous swallowing disorders including cricopharyngeus muscle achalasia, esophageal achalasia, hiatal herniation, and gastroesophageal reflux with secondary esophagitis and esophageal dysmotility.

The American Broncho-Esophagological Association Position Statement on Swallowing Fluoroscopy.

Objectives: To develop an expert consensus statement on the clinical use of swallowing fluoroscopy in adults that reduces practice variation and identifies opportunities for quality improvement in the care of patients suffering from swallowing impairment.

Methodology: A search strategist reviewed data sources (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, Scopus) to use as evidence for an expert development group to compose statements focusing on areas of controversy regarding swallowing fluoroscopy. Candidate statements underwent two iterations of a modified Delphi protocol to reach consensus.

Medialisation laryngoplasty with bone wax in a sheep model.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and biocompatibility of bone wax as an implant material for medialisation laryngoplasty in a large animal model.

Methods: Three Dorper-cross ewes underwent type I thyroplasty of the right vocal fold with bone wax. The animals were monitored for four weeks for general wellbeing.

Polyamine Metabolites as Biomarkers in Head and Neck Cancer Biofluids.

: Novel, non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers that facilitate early intervention in head and neck cancer are urgently needed. Polyamine metabolites have been observed to be elevated in numerous cancer types and correlated with poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to assess the concentration of polyamines in the saliva and urine from head and neck cancer (HNC) patients, compared to healthy controls.