General Topics Flashcards
What are the consequences of air embolism
>50 cc of air causes intensive pulmonary artery vasoconstriction, pulmonary edema, and cor pulmonale. >200 cc of air is fatal.
What is the incidence of permanent hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy
1 - 5%.
What is the incidence of permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve injury after total thyroidectomy
1 -4%.
What is the fistula rate following free jejunal transfer (non-irradiated patients)
10- 20%.
What % of laryngectomy patients who fail voice restoration following tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) suffer from cricopharyngeal spasm
12%.
What is the incidence of SNHL after radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal cancer
14%.
What is the fistula rate in patients who have had prior irradiation requiring total laryngectomy and partial pharyngectomy
15 - 20%.
What is the incidence of tracheoinnominate fistula after tracheostomy
2%.
What is the most effective duration for perioperative antibiotic administration
24 hours.
What % of patients with tracheoinnominate fistulae survive
25%.
What is the incidence of significant SNHL after revision stapedotomy
3 - 30°/o (up to 14% profound).
What is the most common complication from microsurgical reconstruction
36% suffer medical complications (pulmonary problems, prolonged ventilatory support, acute ethanol withdrawal).
What is the recurrence rate following excision of a TGDC without removal of the midportion of the hyoid and the ductal remnant
38%.
What is the perioperative mortality rate of gastric pull-up
5- 20%.
What is the rate of major complications after gastric pull-up
50%.
What % of all instances of tracheal bleeding developing 48 hours or longer after surgery are caused by tracheoinnominate fistulae
50%.
What is incidence of persistent diplopia after orbital reconstruction
7%.
What is the incidence of complications after PEG
9-15%.
What are the most common complications of lateral tympanoplasty
Anterior blunting, lateralization, epithelial pearls, canal stenosis.
What is the management of injury to the sigmoid sinus during mastoidectomy
Apply gentle pressure, place a Surgicel or Gelfoam patch, and continue with surgery.
Where do strictures most often occur after free jejunal transfer
At the inferior anastomosis between the jejunum and esophagus.
Where do fistulas most often occur after free jejunal transfer
At the superior anastomosis between the jejunum and pharynx.
What are the signs of air embolism
Audible sucking sound in the wound, machine-like cardiac murmur, dysrhythmias, sudden systemic hypotension, decreased end expiratory C02, increased CVP.
What are the most common complications of pharyngeal flap surgery
Bleeding, airway obstruction, obstructive sleep apnea.
Which patients are at a higher risk of pneumothorax after tracheostomy
Children.
What is the best test to differentiate between cricopharyngeal spasm and stricture in patients who fail voice restoration following TEP
Contrast videotluoroscopy.
Which complication is most likely to be avoided with endoscopic diverticulectomy versus open diverticulectomy
Damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve.
What is the treatment of pneumocephalus
Emergent drainage with needle aspiration, airway diversion (i.e. tracheostomy), nasal repacking.
What is the most common complication after orbital reconstruction
Enophthalmos.
What are the symptoms and signs of a poststapedectomy perilymph fistula
Episodic vertigo, especially with exertion, sensorineural hearing loss, loss of speech discrimination, and nystagmus with changes of air pressure on the TM.
What is meant by “carotid blowout precautions”
Establish IV access with 2 large bore IVs, type and cross 2 units PRBCs, have an intubation tray at the bedside, and educate nursing staff.
What is the most serious complication of lateral pharyngotomy
Excessive retraction on the great vessels leading to thrombosis or embolism.
What structure is most at risk during removal of a 1st branchial arch sinus
Facial nerve.
What are the 2”d most commonly isolated bacteria
Gram-negative aerobic bacteria.
What is the most common complication of parotidectomy
Hematoma.
What electrolyte problem is disproportionately associated with gastric pull-up
Hypocalcemia secondary to impaired calcium absorption and inadvertent parathyroid resection during thyroidectomy.
What is the incidence of CV A and mortality from carotid blowout
I 0% CV A and I % mortality if volume is repleted prior to going to the OR. 50% CV A and 25°/o mortality if volume is not repleted prior to going to the OR.
What factor best predicts the risk of a major complication following head and neck oncologic surgery
I O% loss of baseline body weight.
What is the incidence of clinically significant VPI after adenoidectomy
I: 1500 - 3000.
What is the treatment for post-adenoidectomy VPI
If it persists beyond 2 months, speech therapy; beyond 6 - 12 months, palatal pushback, pharyngeal flap surgery, or sphincter pharyngoplasty.
What is the management of intraoperative violation of the labyrinth
Immediate application of a Gel foam patch or other tissue seal (other than fat).
What is the rate of wound infection following contaminated head and neck surgery with use of perioperative antibiotics consisting of ampicillin/sulbactam or clindamycin
IS%.
During stapedectomy, the entire stapes footplate falls into the vestibule. What should be done
It should be left in the vestibule, as attempts to retrieve it are more likely to cause damage than leaving the footplate where it is.
A patient develops a CSF leak after resection of an acoustic neuroma. A pressure dressing and lumbar drain are placed with no improvement. Wound exploration and reclosure are performed, and the leak recurs. What is the next step
It the tympanic membrane is intact and hearing is present, plug the eustachian tube via a middle fossa approach. If the tympanic membrane is not intact and hearing is not present, perform a blind sac closure of the external auditory canal and obliterate the middle ear and eustachian tube.
What is the most common location for iatrogenic labyrinthine fistula formation during mastoidectomy
Lateral semicircular canal.
What is the initial treatment for a chyle leak diagnosed 3 days after neck dissection
Maintain drains and begin medium-chain triglyceride tube feedings.
Where is the facial nerve most commonly injured during mastoid surgery
Near the 2”d genu as it enters the mastoid cavity.
4 weeks after ORlF of a mandibular body fracture, your patients presents with an exposed plate and purulent drainage. The reduction is grossly intact. What do you do
Open wound, remove involved tooth if applicable, remove hardware, and assess union; if nonunion is present, most patients will heal with MMF; other option is plate and bone graft (external approach).
10 days after ORIF of a mandibular body fracture, your patient presents with an exposed plate and purulent drainage. The reduction is grossly intact. What do you do
Open wound, remove involved tooth if applicable; if hardware is loose, replace it with a new plate; if hardware is rigid, continue drainage, wound care.
What are the complications from radiation overdosage in the treatment of NPC
Osteoradionecrosis, brain necrosis, transverse myelitis, hearing loss, hypopituitarism, hypothyroidism, optic neuritis.
What can cause postoperative pneumocephalus
Overly aggressive drainage of CSF via a lumbar drain or ball-valve action of the flaps used to reconstruct the skull base.
What is the treatment for air embolism
Pack wound, compress jugular veins, aspirate air if right atrial catheter is in place, insert needle into right ventricle from under the xiphoid, switch to 1 00°/o 0 2 and stop nitrous, place patient in left lateral Trendelenburg position.
Which patients are at greater risk for a “perilymph gusher”
Patients with congenital stapes fixation and a patent cochlear aqueduct or a large vestibular aqueduct.
What is the most common postoperative complication of pressure equalizing tube insertion
Persistent otorrhea.
What are the risk factors for innominate artery rupture after tracheostomy
Placement of trach below the 3rd ring; aberrant course of the innominate artery; use of a long, curved tube; overhyperextension of the neck during the procedure; prolonged pressure by inflated cuff; and tracheal infection.
What is the most common complication of segmental mandibulectomy defect reconstruction with plates
Plate exposure.
What is the most common cause of mortality in pediatric patients who undergo tracheostomy
Plugging or accidental decannulation in children
Unbeknownst to the surgeon, the dura is torn during mastoidectomy, and postoperatively, the patient develops a severe headache, followed by hemiplegia and coma. What has likely happened
Pneumocephalus; torn dura can create a ball valve-like effect and trap air from the middle ear. Influx of air may occur during Valsalva or as a result of high intracranial negative pressure due to the rapid escape of CSF through the tear.
What is the most common cause of infection after ORIF
Poor plating technique.
What is the most common complication of stapedotomy
Prosthesis displacement.
What is a “perilymph gusher”
Rapid release of perilymph after stapes footplate fenestration due to pressure and fluid from the CSF compartment venting through the inner ear.
What is the only preoperative factor to significantly increase the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications
Recent smoking history.
What is the management of a “perilymph gusher”
Reduction of CSF pressure with mannitol and/or a lumbar drain, application of a tissue seal over the oval window fistula using fascia, perichondrium, or fat and secured with a stapes prosthesis, and postoperative hospitalization with continued reduction in CSF pressure.
What are the most common complications of gastric pull-up
Regurgitation, cervical dysphagia, stricture, anastomotic leak.
What is the treatment for infected extraoral mandibular ORIF
Removal of the tooth and the failed plate, debridement of dead bone, placement of a large reconstruction plate, and primary grafting if inadequate bone contact exists.
What is the management of injury to the dura with CSF leak during mastoidectomy
Repair with temporalis fascia held in place with sutures or packing and continue with surgery; small tears can be managed with a Surgicel or Gelfoam patch.
What are the most common complications of acoustic neuroma resection
SNHL, paralysis of VII, CSF leak (10-35%), meningitis (1-10%), intracranial hemorrhage (0.5-2%).
What are the most commonly isolated bacteria from wound infections following major contaminated head and neck surgery
Staph aureus and beta-hemolytic streptococci.
What is the most common organism identified in patients with pneumonia after major surgical resection of the upper aerodigestive tract
Staphylococcus aureus.
Ten days after stapedectomy, your patient complains of progressive hearing loss and vertigo that does not respond to steroids. What do you do
Take the patient back to the OR to explore for a granuloma. If one is found, remove the granuloma and place a new prosthesis with a tissue seal over the oval window.
What are 2 important techniques to prevent postoperative fistula formation
Tension-free closure and perioperative antibiotics.
If the leak does not resolve, what is the next step in management
TPN.
What surgical procedure is the most common cause of iatrogenic vocal cord paralysis in children
Tracheo-esophageal fistula repair.
Two weeks after undergoing salvage surgery on the neck, a patient loses 800 cc of blood from the operative site. If a bleeding source is not found on carotid arteriogram, what is the next step in management
Venous angiography with endovascular occlusion.
What is the youngest age approved by the FDA for cochlear implantation?
12 months.
What percent of laryngectomy patients who fail voice restoration following TEP suffer from cricopharyngeal spasm?
12%.
What percent of patients with glottic insufficiency will attain complete closure after voice therapy?
20%.
What is the critical period for stimulating the auditory system?
3 years of age.
A patient with Meniere’s disease is able to work, drive, and travel but must exert a great deal of effort to do so and is “barely making it.” What functional level is heJshe?
4 (out of 6).
What percent of patients with severe tinnitus are successfully treated with masking devices?
56-64%.
What factor is most predictive of enhanced ability to understand speech with a cochlear implant?
Age at onset of deafness.
What are the basic steps of sound processing performed by cochlear implants?
Amplification, compression, filtering, and encoding.
What are the three general types of hearing aids?
Analogue devices, digitally programmable systems, and digital signal processors.
After 3 months of voice therapy, what percent of benign vocal cord lesions will reduce in size or resolve?
Approximately 45% will reduce in size and 10% will completely resolve.
What type of masking device is recommended for patients with hearing loss?
Behind-the-ear hearing aid.
What is the habituation technique for the treatment of tinnitus?
Binaural broad-band noise generators are worn for at least 6 hours everyday for at least 12 months.
What are the three categories of compression?
Compression limiting, wide dynamic range compression, and automatic volume control.
What is the gain of a hearing aid?
Difference in the output of the instrument relative to its input.
What are the three options for speech production after total laryngectomy?
Esophageal speech, tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP), and electrolarynx.
What are the different types of assisted listening devices?
FM systems, soundfield systems, infrared systems.
What utensil can be used to help move food to the back of the tongue in patients who have had a glossectomy?
Glossectomy feeding spoon.
What are the components of a cochlear implant?
Implantable stimulator, headpiece and transmitter, and speech processor.
What are the criteria for pediatric cochlear implantation?
In both prelingual and postlingual children, bilateral severe to profound SNHL (only profound hearing loss in children < 20-30% in children capable of testing; lack of auditory development with a proper binaural hearing aid trial documented by testing or parental questionnaire (for very young children); no medical contraindication with intact cochlea and auditory nerve.
What exercises have been shown to help improve swallowing function?
Isotonic/isometric neck exercises where the patient lies on his/her back and lifts the head and isometric resistance tongue exercises.
How can one determine if maskers will be effective in the treatment of tinnitus?
Measure the minimum masking level (MML) and loudness matching; if the MML is lower or equal to the loudness matching, maskers will likely be effective.
What is a linear amplification system?
One in which the amplitude output is directly proportional to the signal input until saturation is reached.
After cochlear implantation, children have better outcomes in which type of learning environment: total communication or oral education?
Oral education.
What device can be used to decrease nasal regurgitation in patients who have a defect in their palate?
Palatal obturator.
What is the supraglottic swallow?
Patient inhales, takes food into mouth, performs Valsalva to close the glottis, coughs to clear debris from the glottis, swallows, and then exhales.
Which patients are least likely to benefit from vestibular rehabilitation programs?
Patients with fluctuating nonstable vestibular lesions such as Meniere’s disease; patients in whom no provocative maneuvers or postural control abnormalities are found on examination.
How do linear amplification systems limit output?
Peak clipping.
What are the criteria for cochlear implantation in prelingual deaf adults?
Profound bilateral SNHL; minimal benefit from properly fitted hearing aids; psychological and motivational suitability; no medical contraindications to surgery with intact cochlea and auditory nerve.
Why are patients prone to aspiration after supraglottic laryngectomy?
Secondary to loss of epiglottis and closure of false cords, to decrease in laryngeal elevation and loss of afferent stimulation to the vocal cords with tracheostomy, and to decrease in sensation from loss of superior laryngeal nerves during tumor resection.
What are the criteria for cochlear implantation in postlingual deaf adults?
Severe to profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL); properly aided sentence recognition score (HINT)
What is the frequency response of a hearing aid?
The gain of the hearing aid across a range of frequencies.
What is a nonlinear amplification system?
The ratio of input to output is
Why are in-the-ear hearing aids not recommended in patients with tinnitus?
They can produce too much occlusion effect and amplification of the lower frequencies, resulting in exacerbation of tinnitus.
Which patients benefit most from nonlinear amplification systems?
Those with a small range between their threshold for hearing and their loudness discomfort level (LDL).
How do prelingually deafened children with cochlear implants compare with those with multichannel tactile aids in open-set word recognition skills?
Those with cochlear implants do better.
What is the purpose of the “chin-tuck” when swallowing?
To decrease the speed of the bolus passage.
What is the basic function of assisted listening devices?
To improve the signal-to-noise ratio at ear level by 15-20 dB in moderate noise and reverberation.
In which direction should a hemiparetic patient turn their neck to assist with swallowing?
Toward the hemiparetic side.
True/False: Cochlear implantation has been shown to relieve tinnitus in a large percentage of profoundly deaf individuals.
True.