Publications by authors named "Nawka T"

Objectives: To describe the inside out surgical anatomy of the superior laryngeal artery and to resolve the ambiguities in the nomenclature of its main branches.

Study Design: Endoscopic dissection of the superior laryngeal artery in the paraglottic space of larynges of fresh frozen cadavers and a review of the literature.

Setting: A center for anatomy encompassing facilities for latex injection into the cervical arteries of human donor bodies and a laryngeal dissection station equipped with a video-guided endoscope and a 3-dimensional camera.

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  • The study compared the effectiveness of vocal fold steroid injection (VFSI) and surgical excision in treating vocal fold nodules (VFNs) in 32 patients aged 16-63.
  • Both treatment methods resulted in significant reductions in nodule size and improved voice quality, as shown by subjective and objective assessments.
  • VFSI proved to be a safe and effective alternative to surgery for VFNs, with voice outcomes comparable to those achieved through traditional surgical means.
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Objectives: The paraglottic space is an essential anatomic compartment of the larynx. It is central to the spread of laryngeal cancer and to the choice of conservative laryngeal surgery and many phonosurgical procedures. Since its description, 60 years ago, the surgical anatomy of the paraglottic space was sparsely revisited.

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  • The management of dysphagia requires a multidisciplinary approach, involving professionals such as phoniatricians, otolaryngologists, and speech-language therapists, which presents challenges in expertise and resources.
  • The flexible roles within the dysphagia team allow for overlapping responsibilities, with the fibreoptic flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) being a key diagnostic tool.
  • This position paper highlights the critical role of phoniatricians in conducting FEES, particularly for patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia and those with complex needs like head and neck cancer.
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The international nine-item Voice Handicap Index (VHI-9i) is a clinically established short-scale version of the original VHI, quantifying the patients' self-assessed vocal handicap. However, the current vocal impairment classification is based on percentiles. The main goals of this study were to establish test-retest reliability and a sound statistical basis for VHI-9i severity levels.

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  • Patients with unilateral vocal fold cancer (T1a) show a favorable prognosis after CO transoral laser microsurgery (TOLMS), as indicated by significant survival rates over five years: 71.4% recurrence-free, 94.4% overall, and 100% disease-specific survival.
  • Voice function, assessed through various measures such as the Vocal Extent Measure (VEM) and the Dysphonia Severity Index (DSI), improved post-surgery, supporting the effectiveness of TOLMS in preserving and enhancing vocal quality.
  • The study suggests that VEM is a particularly sensitive and reliable measure for evaluating voice performance and perceived impairment in these patients.
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The vocal extent measure (VEM) represents a new diagnostic tool to express vocal capacity by quantifying the dynamic performance and frequency range of voice range profiles (VRPs). For VEM calculation, the VRP area is multiplied by the quotient of the theoretical perimeter of a circle with equal VRP area and the actual VRP perimeter. Since different diseases affect voice function to varying degrees, pathology-related influences on the VEM should be investigated more detailed in this retrospective study, three years after VEM implementation.

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Background: The following position statement from the Union of the European Phoniatricians, updated on 25th May 2020 (superseding the previous statement issued on 21st April 2020), contains a series of recommendations for phoniatricians and ENT surgeons who provide and/or run voice, swallowing, speech and language, or paediatric audiology services.

Objectives: This material specifically aims to inform clinical practices in countries where clinics and operating theatres are reopening for elective work. It endeavours to present a current European view in relation to common procedures, many of which fall under the aegis of aerosol generating procedures.

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Objective: The objective is to produce a short instrument for measuring the subjectively experienced articulation handicap, i.e. the extent to which physical, functional, and emotional handicaps caused by a physical deficit are subjectively experienced.

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Instrument-assisted measuring procedures expand the options within phoniatric diagnostics by quantifying the condition of the voice. The aim of this study was to examine objective treatment-associated changes of the recently developed vocal extent measure (VEM) and the established dysphonia severity index (DSI) in relation to subjective tools, i.e.

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  • Compared continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring (C-IONM) and intermittent intraoperative neuromonitoring (I-IONM) in complex benign thyroid surgeries to assess their effect on vocal fold function.
  • Results indicated that C-IONM led to a significant reduction in early postoperative unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) compared to I-IONM, though both methods had low rates of permanent paralysis.
  • Phonosurgical therapies were effective for patients with persistent dysphonia after surgery, suggesting that C-IONM could be the preferred method in this context for better vocal outcomes.
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The recently developed vocal extent measure (VEM) quantifies a patient's vocal capacity as documented in the voice range profile (VRP). This study presents the first reference ranges of the VEM for young subjects without voice complaints. Furthermore, this study investigates the influence of gender on the VEM as well as the correlation of the VEM with the dysphonia severity index (DSI).

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Purpose: To collect data on diagnosis, treatment, patient's management, and quality of life in patient with bilateral vocal fold paralysis (BVFP).

Methods: A retrospective, observational, multicenter registry study was performed. Medical records of 326 adults with permanent BVFP (median age: 61 years; 70% female, 60% after thyroid surgery) generated between 2010 and 2017.

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