Laterality and otorhinolaryngology: a review

Abstract

Background Laterality of paired organs involves the function of the eyes, ears, hands and feet. Whilst most people have a right-handed preference, about 10 per cent are left-handed. Similarly, the right eye is usually preferred to the left. Medicine is both taught and practised for those with right hand and eye preference, and left-handed medical students and doctors must negotiate the right-handed world. Objective This brief review looks at society's attitudes, medical training and the practice of otolaryngology in the UK towards laterality and handedness. Method Literature review. Results Studies suggest that left-handers are more versatile and so are more ambidextrous. Conversely, this may result in problems when a right-hander tries to undertake a procedure with the non-dominant hand. Conclusion Cultures and attitudes are changing towards those who are left-handed. Left-handed surgeons may encounter difficulties in the clinical environment throughout their training.

Left‐handedness in otolaryngology, who is right?

“…This issue is less prominent in other subspecialties of ORLHN, even in laterality‐based procedures such as tonsillectomy or endoscopic laryngeal surgery, because hand choice can be influenced by the laterality of the lesion. 26 Our findings support this, as other procedures seen in other subspecialities such as head and neck surgery, laryngology, airway surgery, and otology were almost similarly challenging to learn from the LH perspective compared to RH trainees.…”

Necrotising otitis externa, epistaxis first aid advice, laterality in otolaryngology and what medical students want from ENT teaching

“…One unusual but fascinating review paper by Lancer and Drake-Lee (UK), last month's ‘paper of the month’, looked at laterality in otorhinolaryngology. 7 Surely this is just about the 10 per cent of individuals with left-handedness and perhaps some difficulty with scissors? Not at all – there is so much more to the subject than that: eye dominance, ear dominance, genetic factors, ambidexterity, equipment problems for surgeons, pathology favouring left or right side (such as otitis media and externa), education implications for surgeons and possible implications for our management choices in individual patients.…”