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The RP is a safe procedure with no significant difference in FNP rates when compared to the AP and, considering the shorter CST and the lesser VHT resected in the RP, it is superior to the AP. Surgeons engaged in parotidectomy should be familiar with both methods of dissection.

Postoperative haemorrhage following tonsillectomy occurs in 5.98% of all cases with up to 10 deaths reported annually in Germany. When comparing tonsillectomy (TE) and tonsillotomy (TT), the same long-term frequency of ENT infections is displayed in children and young adults. However, taking postoperative haemorrhaging into account, TT is more favourable. Chronic tonsillitis is one of the most common indications for TE in the adult population; however, a histopathological characterization may reveal objective criteria and provide a foundation for routinely performing TT in adults too. Three essential parameters hyperplasia (HP), grade of inflammation (GOI) and activity of inflammation (AOI), which are responsible for, and associated with a clinically relevant disease were histopathologically examined in the tonsils of 100 adult patients with chronic recurrent tonsillitis. The parameters were analysed and compared separately in the pharyngeal and basal parts of the tonsils as well as in three sections (upper and lower pole of the tonsil, middle part) as this may influence the indication for TT. The comparison of the basal and pharyngeal portions displayed a significant difference in the GOI and the HP in all three sections: grade 2 HP as well as GOI were more commonly found in the basal than pharyngeal portions (p> 0.001). AOI (grade 2) displayed the same properties in the middle section (p < 0.002), but did not reach statistical significance in the cranial and caudal sections (p = 0.107 and p = 0.186). An overabundance of grade 1 GOI, AOI, and HP was seen in the pharyngeal sections. The results show that two out of three relevant parameters that demonstrate histopathological changes in recurrent inflamed tonsils have a significantly stronger presence in the basal section of the tonsil as opposed to the pharyngeal section. The processes initiated by inflammation next to the surface responsible for a clinically relevant recurrent tonsillitis seem to cause stronger reactions in the deep follicular portion of the tonsils.

Although the history of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) dates back to the 19th century, the method did not evolve further than the mere differentiation of nerves until recently. Only the development of continuous IONM (cIONM) has allowed for non-stop analysis of excitation amplitude and latency during surgical procedures, which is nowadays integrated into the software of almost all commercially available neuromonitoring devices. The objective of cIONM is real-time monitoring of nerve status in order to recognize and prevent impending nerve injury and predict postoperative nerve function. Despite some drawbacks such as false-positive/negative alarms, technical artefacts, and rare adverse effects, cIONM remains a good instrument which is still under development. Active (acIONM) and passive (pcIONM) methods of cIONM are described in literature. The main fields of cIONM implementation are currently thyroid surgery (in which the vagal nerve is continuously stimulated) and surgery to the cerebellopontine angle (in which the facial nerve is either continuously stimulated or the discharge signal of the nerve is analyzed via pcIONM). In the latter surgery, continuous monitoring of the cochlear nerve is also established.

Background Posttonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH) is the most feared complication. Dissection near the tonsillar capsule under microscopic view (TEmic) could be assumed to decrease PTH compared to traditional tonsillectomy (TEtrad). Methods In this study, patients were evaluated with respect to the need for surgical control (R/N: return/no return to theater (RTT): the day of surgery [0] or thereafter [1]). The findings at resection site and pain were measured. Results 869 patients were included (183 TEmic; 686 TEtrad). PTH requiring RTT was not seen in the TEmic group on the day of surgery (R0) while PTH requiring RTT subsequently (R1) was seen in 1.1% of the cases. In the TEmic group, hemorrhages without a need for surgical control were observed in 0.6% (N0) and 3.4% (N1), respectively. The corresponding rates for TEtrad were as follows: R0, 0.3%; R1, 1.7%; N0, 0.6%; and N1, 3.6% (p > 0.05). Postoperative edema and local infection at resection site were proven to be predictive of PTH (p = 0.007). Conclusion Microscope assistance in tonsillectomy did not statistically have an influence on the PTH even though there was a trend towards lower PTH rate in the TEmic group. Benefit for TEmic was observed in high-volume and long experienced surgeons.

Kontinuierliches intraoperatives Neuromonitoring (cIONM) in der Kopf-Hals-Chirurgie-eine Übersicht Intraoperatives Neuromonitoring (IONM) zielt darauf ab, gefährdete neuronale Strukturen anatomisch und funktionell zu erhalten und so postoperativ temporäre und dauerhafte Paresen zu vermeiden. Modernes IONM ermöglicht nicht nur Nervenidentifizierung, sondern auch die Erkennung potenziell schädlicher Manipulationen; so kann anhand der intraoperativen Informationen eine Vorhersage der postoperativen Funktion erfolgen. Im Kopf-Hals-Bereich ist das IONM in der HNO-Heilkunde, Neurochirurgie und Schilddrüsenchirurgie etabliert. Hintergrund Die Geschichte des intraoperativen Neuromonitorings (IONM) reicht bis ins Jahr 1898 zurück, als Dr. Fedor Krause aus Berlin die monopolare faradische Stimulation bei der Neurektomie des N. vestibulocochlearis als Therapie eines dekompensierten Tinnitus zur Identifikation des N. facialis einsetzte [13]: Hierbei stimulierte er den Gesichtsnerv und stellte visuell fest, dass Kontraktionen der Ge-Die englische Version dieses Beitrags ist unter

Purpose Early facial nerve palsy (eFNP) is the most frequent complication of the parotidectomy. Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) in parotid surgery, which aims at reducing eFNP, has not evolved any further than the mere differentiation between the nerve and the surrounding tissue. Continuous IONM (cIONM), used in thyroid and posterior fossa surgery, has developed over the past years and has proved beneficial in reducing the rate of paresis in cases where a pattern of impending nerve injury is identified. In this study, we aim to demonstrate the safety of using the stimulating electrode (Saxophone®) for cIONM in parotid surgery. Methods From 2016 to 2018, 40 patients who were referred for primary parotidectomy under cIONM according to our study protocol (registered at the German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS-ID: DRKS00011051, http://www.drks.de; http://apps.who.int/trialsearch) were included in this study. All patients with a normal preoperative facial nerve function [House–Brackman (HB)-Index 1] underwent surgery using continuous facial nerve stimulation with the Saxophone® electrode (system AVALANCHE XT, Dr. Langer Medical, Waldkirch, Germany). A control group which underwent parotidectomies with only intermittent IONM was recruited from our records. Results Half of the patients in our study group suffered from eFNP. All except one regained normal facial nerve function within 6 months of surgery. There was no significant difference regarding eFNP when compared to the control group without cIONM (p = 0.11). No statistically significant correlation between the stimulation threshold (p = 0.74) or the duration of nerve stimulation and eFNP was found (p = 0.51). Conclusion We have demonstrated the safety of using the Saxophone®-electrode for cIONM of the facial nerve in parotid surgery. Future development of this method could enable the recognition of impending nerve injury and thus reduce eFNP.