Quilting sutures compared with sponge packing in septolplasty and turbinoplasty

INTRODUCTION

There is a lack of consensus regarding the need for nasal packing after a septoplasty. The use of nasal packing has been proposed to reduce bleeding, synechiae and haematomas. Despite these advantages evidence is scant to support postoperative packing. Furthermore, packing is not an innocuous procedure and can cause complications.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of quilting sutures compared with sponge nasal packing on haemostasis, haematomas and wound healing following septoplasty.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Seventy-six patients with nasal septum deviation requiring septoplasty and turbinoplasy with radiofrequency were included. Following surgery, fifty patients were selected randomly for septoplasty with one quilting suture. And twenty-six patients had sponge nasal packing. Haemostatic properties, formation of haematomas, formation of synechiae, the patients' pain and bleeding on removal of the packing were evaluated.

RESULTS

Both techniques were equally effective in the control of postoperative bleeding, haematoma and synechiae formation following septoplasty. Sponge packing was associated with significant pain and bleeding on removal.

CONCLUSION

The use of quilting sutures like sponge packing is efficient in controlling bleeding, synechiae and haematomas after septoplasty and turbinoplasty.

Quilting sutures compared with sponge packing in septolplasty and turbinoplasty

INTRODUCTION

There is a lack of consensus regarding the need for nasal packing after a septoplasty. The use of nasal packing has been proposed to reduce bleeding, synechiae and haematomas. Despite these advantages evidence is scant to support postoperative packing. Furthermore, packing is not an innocuous procedure and can cause complications.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of quilting sutures compared with sponge nasal packing on haemostasis, haematomas and wound healing following septoplasty.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Seventy-six patients with nasal septum deviation requiring septoplasty and turbinoplasy with radiofrequency were included. Following surgery, fifty patients were selected randomly for septoplasty with one quilting suture. And twenty-six patients had sponge nasal packing. Haemostatic properties, formation of haematomas, formation of synechiae, the patients' pain and bleeding on removal of the packing were evaluated.

RESULTS

Both techniques were equally effective in the control of postoperative bleeding, haematoma and synechiae formation following septoplasty. Sponge packing was associated with significant pain and bleeding on removal.

CONCLUSION

The use of quilting sutures like sponge packing is efficient in controlling bleeding, synechiae and haematomas after septoplasty and turbinoplasty.

Application of the acoustic voice quality index for objective measurement of dysphonia severity

INTRODUCTION

Over the past several decades, many acoustic parameters have been studied as sensitive to and to measure dysphonia. However, current acoustic measures might not be sensitive measures of perceived voice quality. A meta-analysis which evaluated the relationship between perceived overall voice quality and several acoustic-phonetic correlates, identified measures that do not rely on the extraction of the fundamental period, such the measures derived from the cepstrum, and that can be used in sustained vowel as well as continuous speech samples. A specific and recently developed method to quantify the severity of overall dysphonia is the acoustic voice quality index (AVQI) that is a multivariate construct that combines multiple acoustic markers to yield a single number that correlates reasonably with overall vocal quality.

METHODS

This research is based on one pool of voice recordings collected in two sets of subjects: 60 vocally normal and 58 voice disordered participants. A sustained vowel and a sample of connected speech were recorded and analyzed to obtain the six parameters included in the AVQI using the program Praat. Statistical analysis was completed using SPSS for Windows, version 12.0.

RESULTS

Correlation between perception of overall voice quality and AVQI: A significant difference exists (t(95) = 9.5; p<.000) between normal and dysphonic voices.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study demonstrate the clinical feasibility of the AVQI as a measure of dysphonia severity.