Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND:The present study aims to quantify the opportunity cost of training residents and fellows for head and neck surgery. METHODS:A 2005-2015 review of ablative head and neck surgical procedures was performed using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). Work relative value units (wRVU) generated per hour were compared among procedures performed by attendings alone, attendings with residents, and attendings with fellows. RESULTS:Among 34,078 ablative procedures, the rate of wRVU generation per hour was greatest for attendings alone (10.3), followed by attendings with residents (8.9) and attendings with fellows (7.0, p < 0.001). Resident and fellow involvement was associated with opportunity costs of $60.44 per hour (95% CI: $50.21-$70.66/h) and $78.98 per hour ($63.10-$94.87/h, 95% CI), respectively. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:wRVU-based physician reimbursement does not consider or adjust for the extra effort involved in training future head and neck surgeons. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:NA Laryngoscope, 134:113-119, 2024.

UNLABELLED:Management of Enlarging tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) with Voice Prosthesis in Laryngectomized Head and Neck Cancer Patients. OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:An enlarging TEF following voice prosthesis placement impacts patient quality of life, risks airway compromise, and can lead to aspiration pneumonia. Pharyngoesophageal strictures have previously been reported to be associated with TEF enlargement and leakage. We describe a series of patients with enlarging TEFs after Tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) for voice prosthesis who required pharyngoesophageal reconstruction. METHODS:Retrospective case series of laryngectomized H&N cancer patients with primary or secondary TEP who underwent surgical management for enlarging TEF site between 6/2016-11/2022. RESULTS:Eight patients were included. The mean age was 62.8 years old. Seven patients had a history of hypothyroidism. Of seven with prior H&N radiation history, two had both historical and adjuvant radiation. Two of the eight TEPs were placed secondarily. Mean time from TEP to enlarging TEF diagnosis was 891.3 days. Radial forearm-free flaps were used in five patients. Six had stenosis proximal to the TEF whereas one had distal stenosis and one had no evidence of stenosis. Mean length of stay was 12.3 days. Mean follow-up was 400.4 days. Two required a second free flap for persistent fistula. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Surgical reconstruction of enlarging TEFs due to TEP/VP placement is effective in combination with addressing underlying pharyngeal/esophageal stenosis contributing to TEF enlargement and leakage. Radial forearm-free flaps have the additional benefit of a long vascular pedicle to access more distant and less-irradiated recipient vessels. Many fistulae are resolved after the first flap reconstruction, but some may require subsequent reconstruction in case of failure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE/METHODS:Level IV Laryngoscope, 2023.

OBJECTIVES/UNASSIGNED:The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of ceiling effects for commonly used speech perception tests in a large population of children who received a cochlear implant (CI) before the age of four. A secondary goal was to determine the demographic factors that were relevant for predicting which children were more likely to reach ceiling level performance. We hypothesize that ceiling effects are highly prevalent for most tests. DESIGN/UNASSIGNED:Retrospective chart review of children receiving a CI between 2002 and 2014. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:165 children were included. Median scores were above ceiling levels (≥90% correct) for the majority of speech perception tests and all distributions of scores were highly skewed. Children who were implanted earlier, received two implants, and were oral communicators were more likely to reach ceiling-level performance. Age and years of CI listening experience at time of test were negatively correlated with performance, suggesting a non-random assignment of tests. Many children were re-tested on tests for which they had already scored at ceiling. CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:Commonly used speech perception tests for children with CIs are prone to ceiling effects and may not accurately reflect how a child performs in everyday listening situations.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) often experience high symptom burden leading to lower quality of life (QoL). OBJECTIVE/UNASSIGNED:This study aims to conceptually model optimal cutpoint by examining where total number of patient-reported symptoms exceeds patients' coping capacity, leading to a decline in QoL in patients with HNC. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:Secondary data analysis of 105 individuals with HNC enrolled in a clinical usefulness study of the NYU Electronic Patient Visit Assessment (ePVA)©, a digital patient-reported symptom measure. Patients completed ePVA and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC©) QLQ-C30 v3.0. The total number of patient-reported symptoms was the sum of symptoms as identified by the ePVA questionnaire. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to define optimal cutpoint. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:<.0001). CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:In HNC, defining optimal cutpoints in the total number of patient-reported symptoms is feasible. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE/UNASSIGNED:Cutpoints in the total number of patient-reported symptoms may identify patients experiencing a high symptom burden from HNC. FOUNDATIONAL/UNASSIGNED:Using optimal cutpoints of the total number of patient-reported symptoms may help effectively align clinical resources with patients' symptom burden.

BACKGROUND:Fluorodeoxyglucose uptake on positron emission tomography imaging has been shown to be an independent risk factor for malignancy in thyroid nodules. More recently, a new positron emission tomography radiotracer-Gallium-68 DOTATATE-has gained popularity as a sensitive method to detect neuroendocrine tumors. With greater availability of this imaging, incidental Gallium-68 DOTATATE uptake in the thyroid gland has increased. It is unclear whether current guideline-directed management of thyroid nodules remains appropriate in those that are Gallium-68 DOTATATE avid. METHODS:We retrospectively reviewed Gallium-68 DOTATATE positron emission tomography scans performed at our institution from 2012 to 2022. Patients with incidental focal Gallium-68 DOTATATE uptake in the thyroid gland were included. Fine needle aspiration biopsies were characterized via the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology. Bethesda III/IV nodules underwent molecular testing (ThyroSeq v3), and malignancy risk ≥50% was considered positive. RESULTS:In total, 1,176 Gallium-68 DOTATATE PET scans were reviewed across 837 unique patients. Fifty-three (6.3%) patients demonstrated focal Gallium-68 DOTATATE thyroid uptake. Nine patients were imaged for known medullary thyroid cancer. Forty-four patients had incidental radiotracer uptake in the thyroid and were included in our study. Patients included in the study were predominantly female sex (75%), with an average age of 62.9 ± 13.9 years and a maximum standardized uptake value in the thyroid of 7.3 ± 5.3. Frequent indications for imaging included neuroendocrine tumors of the small bowel (n = 17), lung (n = 8), and pancreas (n = 7). Thirty-three patients underwent subsequent thyroid ultrasound. Sonographic findings warranted biopsy in 24 patients, of which 3 were lost to follow-up. Cytopathology and molecular testing results are as follows: 12 Bethesda II (57.1%), 6 Bethesda III/ThyroSeq-negative (28.6%), 1 Bethesda III/ThyroSeq-positive (4.8%), 2 Bethesda V/VI (9.5%). Four nodules were resected, revealing 2 papillary thyroid cancers, 1 neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features, and 1 follicular adenoma. There was no difference in maximum standardized uptake value between benign and malignant nodules (7.0 ± 4.6 vs 13.1 ± 5.7, P = .106). Overall, the malignancy rate among patients with sonography and appropriate follow-up was 6.7% (2/30). Among patients with cyto- or histopathology, the malignancy rate was 9.5% (2/21). There were no incidental cases of medullary thyroid cancer. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:The malignancy rate among thyroid nodules with incidental Gallium-68 DOTATATE uptake is comparable to rates reported among thyroid nodules in the general population. Guideline-directed management of thyroid nodules remains appropriate in those with incidental Gallium-68 DOTATATE uptake.

OBJECTIVE/UNASSIGNED:To determine the outcomes of patients receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss and the impact of patient comorbidities on outcomes. STUDY DESIGN/UNASSIGNED:Retrospective chart review. SETTING/UNASSIGNED:Tertiary referral center. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:All patients over 18 diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss between 2018 and 2021 who were treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy were included. Demographic information, treatment regimens and duration, and audiometric and speech perception outcomes were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:19 patients were included. The median age was 45 years. 53% were female and 21% had pre- existing rheumatologic disorders. The mean duration between hearing loss onset and physician visits was 9.6 days. All patients received an oral steroid course, while 95% also received a median of 3 intratympanic steroid injections. Patients began hyperbaric oxygen therapy an average of 34.2 days after the hearing loss onset for an average of 13 sessions. No significant relationships were found between patient comorbidities and outcomes. Of those who reported clinical improvement, 57% demonstrated complete recovery per Siegel's criteria. There was significant improvement after hyperbaric oxygen therapy for pure tone averages (50.3dB vs. 36.0dB, p<0.01) and word discrimination scores (73% vs 79%, p<0.05) for all patients regardless of reported clinical improvement. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, as an adjunct to steroids, significantly improves recovery from sudden sensorineural hearing loss. The Charlson comorbidity index was not significantly associated with patient outcome, but patients with rheumatologic disorders were less likely to respond. Differentiating the natural history of the disease from hyperbaric oxygen therapy-associated improvements remains a challenge.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Meniere's disease (MD) is defined by episodic vertigo, unilateral sensorineural hearing loss and fluctuating aural symptoms. Due to the variable clinical presentation, objective tests of MD may have significant diagnostic utility. Head kinematics derived from a head-mounted display (HMD) have demonstrated to be sensitive to vestibular dysfunction. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate whether head sway can differentiate between patients with MD, vestibular hypofunction (VH) and healthy controls. MATERIALS/METHODS/UNASSIGNED:80 adults (30 healthy controls, 32 with VH, and 18 with MD) were recruited from a tertiary vestibular clinic. All underwent a postural control assessment using the HTC Vive Pro Eye HMD that recorded head sway in the anterior-posterior (AP), medio-lateral (ML), pitch, yaw and roll direction. Participants were tested with 2 levels of visual load: a static versus oscillating star display. Each scene lasted 60 s and was repeated twice. Sway in each direction was quantified using root mean square velocity (VRMS) for the first 20 s and full 60 s of each scene. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Static visual: participants with VH showed significantly larger head VRMS than controls in the AP (60 s and 20 s) and pitch (20 s) directions. Dynamic visual: participants with VH showed significantly larger head VRMS than controls all directions for both the 60 and 20 s analysis. Participants with MD did not differ significantly from the control or the VH group. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:While limited in numbers, Patients with MD had a high variability in head sway in all directions, and their average head sway was between controls and those with VH. A larger sample as well as patients with worse symptoms at time of testing could elucidate whether head sway via HMD could become a viable test in this population. A similar finding between 20- and 60-s scene and the full portability of the system with an in-clinic testing setup could help these future endeavors. Head sway derived from HMD is sensitive to VH and can be clinically useful as an outcome measure to evaluate sensory integration for postural control.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:The velocity storage mechanism of the central vestibular system is closely associated with the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), but also contributes to the sense of orientation in space and the perception of self-motion. We postulate that mal de débarquement syndrome (MdDS) is a consequence of inappropriate sensory adaptation of velocity storage. The premise that a maladapted velocity storage may be corrected by spatial readaptation of the VOR has recently been translated into the development of the first effective treatment for MdDS. However, this treatment's initial impact may be reversed by subsequent re-triggering events. Presently, we hypothesized that MdDS symptoms could alternatively be reduced by attenuating the velocity storage contribution in the central vestibular pathways. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:). To attenuate velocity storage, Group 1 underwent a progressively intensifying series of low-frequency earth-vertical oscillatory rotation coupled to conflicting visual stimuli. Group 2 underwent an established protocol combining head tilts and visual stimulation, designed to correct maladapted spatial orientation but not change the velocity storage strength. The symptom severity was self-rated on an 11-point scale and reported before and up to 6 months after the treatment. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED: < 0.001), but paralleling previous findings, symptoms often returned subsequently. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:Attenuation of velocity storage shows promise as a lasting remedy for MdDS that can complement the VOR readaptation approach.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:Rhinoplasty is amongst the most challenging surgeries to perfect and can take decades. This process begins during residency; however, residents often have limited exposure to rhinoplasty during their training and lack a standardized method for systematically analyzing and formulating a surgical plan. The DESS (Deformity, Etiology, Solution, Sequence) is a novel educational format for residents that serves to increase their pre-operative comfort with the surgical evaluation and intraoperative planning for a rhinoplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS/METHODS:A qualitative study performed at a tertiary academic institution with an otolaryngology residency program evaluating three consecutive residency classes comprised of four residents per class. A 9-item questionnaire was distributed to measure change in resident comfort after utilizing the DESS during their facial plastics rotation. Questionnaire responses highlighted resident comfort with facial nasal analysis, identifying deformities, suggesting surgical maneuvers, and synthesizing a comprehensive surgical plan. RESULTS:Ten of the twelve residents surveyed responded. Of those that responded, comfort in facial nasal analysis, identification of common nasal deformities, surgical planning, and development of an overall surgical plan were significantly improved after completion of the facial plastic rotation. These residents largely attributed their success to the systematic educational format, with an average score of 4.8/5.0 (SD 0.42). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:While rhinoplasty is a challenging artform to master, systematic approaches to analysis and operative planning are vital for teaching and guiding residents. Through this novel methodology, residents display significant improvement in their comfort with facial nasal analysis and overall surgical preparation.