Research and publications from the Ear, Nose and Throat Department

Research is encouraged in the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department and well supported by all the consultants.

The Ear, Nose and Throat department's two clinical fellows are involved in major research projects and have specific time allocated in their timetables for research priorities.

There are several other ongoing projects run by the specialist registrars and senior house officers under the guidance of Mr Butler, Mr Hartley, Ms Wyatt Ms Cochrane.

The progress of all projects is reviewed at the ENT departmental research and development meeting held every six months.

Current research projects cover the spectrum of paediatric otolaryngology. The management of airway related conditions is being studied with reviews of our experience of airway reconstruction, endoscopic balloon dilatation, endoscopic cricoid split, cidofovir for RRP and the use of the laser.

Other investigations include the optimal timing for removal of inhaled foreign bodies, canal wall reconstruction using cortical bone, and case reports of unusual paediatric head and neck pathology. An audit of hospital-related and home-related morbidity and mortality due to paediatric tracheostomy has been performed in conjunction with the tracheostomy nurse specialist and an intervention plan has been instituted.

There are multiple ongoing joint projects with other departments in the hospital including Speech and Language Therapy (voice outcomes after vocal cord fat injection, velopharyngeal insufficiency following tonsillectomy), the Cleft Palate Unit, (role of partial adenoidectomy, selective indication for ventilation tube insertion in cleft palate children), the Craniofacial Unit, (use of nasopharyngeal airway in craniosynostosis), Plastic Surgery, and the Anaesthetic department (anaesthetic management of paediatric tracheostomy), as well as projects with other paediatric ENT units around the world.

The department continues to make contributions to the literature and is well represented at national and international meetings [BAPO 2007, ASPO 2007, Dialogues in Paediatric ENT 2007, RSM 2007, ESPO 2006].

The consultants and fellows have also written chapters for recently published textbooks in paediatric otolaryngology [Scott-Brown’s Otolaryngology, Cummings Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Mosby 2005), Paediatric ENT (Springer-Verlag 2007), Oxford Handbook of Paediatric Surgery (Oxford University Press 2008)]. A list of all journal publications for the last 3 years may be found on the “Recent Publications” web page.

There is an extensive research program in the department, which is primarily clinically based. In the last year the department has published numerous papers in the peer reviewed literature.