Long-term Swallowing Function, Pulmonary Complications, and Quality of Life after Supracricoid Laryngectomy.

Objectives: Long-term effects of supracricoid laryngectomies are nowadays under discussion. The purpose of this study was to detect the prevalence of chronic aspiration and incidence of pulmonary complications, to investigate possible influencing factors, and to analyze dysphagia-related quality of life in a cohort of patients who recovered swallowing function after undergoing supracricoid laryngectomies.

Study Design: Retrospective observational study.

Swallowing Impairment During Propofol Target-Controlled Infusion.

Background: Sedatives can impair the swallowing process. We assessed the incidence and severity of swallowing impairment in patients sedated with propofol at clinically relevant doses. We also identified factors that were predictive of swallowing impairment.

Voice disorders in primary school teachers.

Previous reports focusing on the high prevalence of voice disorders in teachers have suggested that vocal loading might be the main causal factor. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of voice disorders in a sample of primary school teachers and evaluate possible cofactors. Our sample was composed of 157 teachers (155 females, mean age 46 years).

Left shoulder pain during meals: a rare complication after laparoscopic Toupet procedure in children.

An uncommon complication of laparoscopic Toupet procedure is reported. A 13-year-old girl, with symptoms of gastro-esophageal reflux disease for many years, including esophagitis detected by gastro-esophageal endoscopy, underwent laparoscopic fundoplication. Ten days after the procedure, isolated episodes of pain localized to the left shoulder appeared during meals.

Long-term follow-up in children treated for retroperitoneal malignant tumours.

Thirty-two long-term survivors after treatment with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy for neuroblastoma (NRB) and Wilms' tumour (WT) were re-evaluated after a period of more than 10 years (mean 16 yr 1 mo, range 27 yr 2 mo/10 yr 5 mo). In addition to routine clinical and laboratory studies, all patients underwent auxometry, echocardiography, spinal X-ray, abdominal US and kidney radionuclide scans. Neither obvious physical signs nor cutaneous toxicity were noted at inspection.