Treatment of snoring using a non-invasive Er:YAG laser with SMOOTH mode (NightLase): a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess safety and efficacy of a non-invasive 2940 nm Er:YAG treatment with SMOOTH mode in reducing snoring in adult patients and to compare its efficacy and safety to sham treatment in a randomized controlled trial setting.  METHODS: 40 primary snoring patients (≥ 18 year, AHI < 15e/h, BMI ≤ 30) were randomized to receive either 3 sessions NightLase or sham laser treatment. The main outcome measures were Snore Outcomes Survey (SOS), the Spouse/Bed Partner Survey (SBPS), a visual analogue snoring scale (bed partner) and a visual analogue pain scale.

[Treatment of tracheoesophageal and tracheopharyngeal fistulas after laryngectomy].

Tracheoesophageal (TEF) and tracheopharyngeal fistulas (TPF) after laryngectomy can mainly be divided into five types: "high TEF with leakage through the voice prosthesis (VP)" (Type Ia), "high TEF with leakage around the VP" (Type Ib), "enlarged high TEF" (Type II), "deep TEF" (Type III), "TPF" (Type IV) and "TPF associated with pharynx stenosis" (Type V). Leakage of TEF in prosthetic voice restoration usually responds well to conservative measures. If these measures fail, as well as in all cases of TPF, surgical intervention is necessary for transtracheostomal or transcervical closure with multi-layer sutures of the esophagus and trachea.

Osteoplastic atticoantrotomy with autologous bone chips and a bony attic strut in cholesteatoma surgery.

The objectives of this study were to determine whether autologous bone chips are suitable materials for canal wall reconstruction after cholesteatoma removal and to evaluate the effectiveness of a separate attic bone graft for the prevention or recurrent cholesteatomas using prospective study of two consecutive patient series (29/31 unselected patients with an average follow-up of 36.3 +/- 11.1/21.

Sleep apnoea in patients after treatment of head neck cancer.

Conclusions: The prevalence of sleep apnoea among patients following treatment of head and neck carcinomas seems to be slightly higher than in the normal population. The possible importance of tumour treatment features, especially transient tracheostoma, needs further assessment.

Objectives: The epidemiology of sleep apnoea in patients following the treatment of head and neck cancer remains unclear.