The impact of resident involvement on otolaryngology surgical outcomes.

Objectives/hypothesis: Intraoperative experience is an essential element of surgical training, but has the potential to impact patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) to evaluate the effect of resident involvement on morbidity and mortality following otolaryngology procedures and 2) to examine the influence of resident training level on the same outcomes.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules performed in the office.

Introduction: The majority of thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB) today are performed in the office freehand by palpation. Not infrequently, patients are sent to radiology for an ultrasound-guided FNAB (USG-FNB). Real-time ultrasound (US) allows for continuous visualization of the needle during insertion and sampling.

Hypothyroidism following hemithyroidectomy for benign nontoxic thyroid disease.

Hypothyroidism following hemithyroidectomy for benign nontoxic thyroid disease is an underappreciated phenomenon. Up until recently, it was common practice for physicians to place post-hemithyroidectomy patients on thyroid suppression therapy during the immediate postoperative period. That practice began to fall out of favor as a result of two developments: (1) the publication of data that put into question the efficacy of levothyroxine therapy for preventing recurrent disease or thyroid growth and (2) a heightened awareness of the morbidity associated with levothyroxine.

Role of intrathyroidal calcifications detected on ultrasound as a marker of malignancy.

Objectives: Clinically palpable thyroid nodules are present in between 4% and 7% of the population, with only a small percentage of those harboring malignancy. Thus, it is important to find a cost-effective way to determine which nodules are more likely to be malignant. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of intrathyroidal calcifications detected on ultrasound as a risk factor for malignancy.

Auditory and facial nerve function following surgery for cerebellopontine angle meningiomas.

Objective: To investigate the postoperative auditory and facial nerve function results after cerebellopontine angle meningioma removal.

Design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: Tertiary care referral center.