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Objectives: Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) training has been found to be underrepresented in medical school curricula. The study aimed to assess (i) students' clinical OHNS exposure, (ii) their confidence managing OHNS conditions, and (iii) the correlation between OHNS exposure and confidence managing OHNS conditions., Methods: Fourth-year medical students at two Canadian Universities completed a survey assessing baseline characteristics, OHNS training, and confidence managing OHNS conditions., Results: Of 87 returned surveys, 46 students had no clinical OHNS exposure, while 29 felt there was adequate OHNS exposure. The majority of students lacked confidence recognizing conditions requiring emergent referral. Students with greater OHNS training had greater confidence managing OHNS conditions ( r  = 0.267, P  = .012)., Conclusion: The majority of medical students have minimal OHNS exposure. Students with greater OHNS exposure have greater confidence managing OHNS conditions. A review of Canadian medical school curricula is warranted to ensure adequate OHNS exposure.

Injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve causes vocal fold paresis or paralysis resulting in poor voice quality, and possibly swallowing dysfunction and/or airway compromise. Injury can occur as part of a neurodegenerative disease process or can be due to direct nerve trauma or tumor invasion. Management depends upon symptoms, the cause and severity of injury, and the prognosis for recovery of nerve function. Surgical treatment techniques can improve symptoms, but do not restore physiologic motion. Gene therapy may be a useful adjunct to enhance nerve regeneration in the setting of neurodegenerative disease or trauma. Remote injection of viral vectors into the recurrent laryngeal nerve is the least invasive way to deliver neurotrophic factors to the nerve's cell bodies within the nucleus ambiguus, and in turn to promote nerve regeneration and enhance both nuclear and nerve survival. The purpose of this review is to discuss the potential role for gene therapy in treatment of the unsolved problem of vocal fold paralysis.

Objectives: A cross-sectional observational study was designed to evaluate patient satisfaction after stapedotomy., Methods: Two validated questionnaires, the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS) and the Hearing Handicap Inventory (HHI), were used to assess patients for whom audiometric data were available., Results: The response rate was 79%. The PIADS score showed that 96% of patients reported an improvement in quality of life. The HHI score, however, showed that 32% of patients still experienced a marked degree of handicap after surgery. The HHI scores correlated positively with postoperative audiometric data, and the PIADS scores correlated positively with the degree of change in audiometric data., Conclusions: The results of this study support the role of small fenestra stapedotomy as a primary treatment for otosclerosis. The study also identifies a certain subpopulation of patients with residual handicap who may require further aural rehabilitation.