Multidisciplinary conferences (MDC) are an important component of head and neck oncologic care including diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Virtual MDC allows for improved collaboration between providers at distant sites and proper allocation of health care resources in a time of crisis. When approached systematically, a virtual MDC is feasible to design and implement in a large academic medical center with multiple satellite hospitals.

Objectives/Hypothesis Thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDCs) are the most common congenital neck cyst and typically present in childhood or adolescence, although a subset remains asymptomatic until adulthood. Although treatment involves surgical excision, few large‐scale studies exist regarding the risks of surgical treatment of TGDCs in adults. This study aims to describe the characteristics of adult patients undergoing TGDC excision and to analyze risk factors associated with reoperation or other postoperative complications. Study Design Retrospective cohort study utilizing the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. Methods Patients age ≥ 18 years in the NSQIP database who underwent TGDC removal from 2005 to 2014 were included. Covariates included patient demographics, comorbidities, preoperative variables, and intraoperative variables. Outcomes included reoperation, complications, and length of hospital stay. Results A total of 793 cases met inclusion criteria. Patients were predominantly female (57.0%) and white (64.3%), with a mean age of 44.3 years. Thirty‐day mortality did not occur in this cohort, but 3.0% of patients experienced at least one complication. Forty‐eight patients (6.1%) underwent reoperation. Wound infection rates were higher in revision operations compared with primary operations (8.3% and 0.9%, respectively; P = .003). Low preoperative sodium was associated with reoperation (P = .047). Additionally, length of hospital stay was associated with increased total operative time (P = .02). Conclusions TGDC excision is a safe and well‐tolerated procedure in the adult population, with low complication rates. However, the risk of reoperation, surgical‐site infections, and medical complications should be taken into consideration during preoperative planning. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope, 130:381–384, 2020

No abstract

Objective: To analyze trends in otolaryngology consultations and provide algorithms to guide management during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective cohort study at a single institution tertiary care hospital. A total of 95 otolaryngology consultations were performed from March 1, 2020 to April 26, 2020 (COVID-era) and 363 were performed from September 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020 (pre-COVID-era) at the UPMC Oakland campus. Data collected included patient demographics, COVID-19 status, reason for consult, location of consult, type of consult, procedures performed, need for surgical intervention, length of hospital stay and recommended follow up. Results: Patient populations in the pre-COVID-era and COVID-era were similar in terms of their distribution of demographics and chief complaints. Craniofacial trauma was the most common reason for consultation in both periods, followed by vocal fold and airway-related consults. We saw a 21.5% decrease in the rate of consults seen per month during the COVID-era compared to the 6 months prior. Review of trends in the consult workflow allowed for development of several algorithms to safely approach otolaryngology consults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: Otolaryngology consultations provide valuable services to inpatients and patients in the emergency department ranging from evaluation of routine symptoms to critical airways. Systematic otolaryngology consult service modifications are required in order to reduce risk of exposure to healthcare providers while providing comprehensive patient care.