Hickey From Kissing Can Cause a Stroke (Rarely)

Image from stulala on WattPad Apparently, a lover's aggressive kissing on the neck leading to hickey formation can potentially also cause enough trauma to the underlying carotid artery that it can lead to stroke and even death. Hard to believe that something that normally would cause no more harm than some teasing from friends has potential life consequences. The first published report of a hickey leading to stroke was in 2010. In this case report , a 44 years old woman received a h…

8/30/2016 0

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Liquid Biopsy for Head and Neck Cancer

Liquid biopsy is when a simple blood draw is performed in order to detect cancer cells (CTC) or mutated DNA fragments (ctDNA) free floating in the bloodstream that has been shed from the cancer's primary or secondary sites. This test has been heralded as an alternative way to make a diagnosis instead of an invasive surgical biopsy whether by needle or excision. Liquid biopsy has been developed mainly for detecting cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, ovarian, lung, and melanoma. Liqu…

6/05/2016 0

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Blood and Spit Test that Detects Cancer of the Head and Neck

Over the years, simple blood tests have been developed to detect specific types of cancer in the human body. We have PSA for prostate cancer; BRCA for breast cancer; CEA for colon cancer... and potentially in the very near future... a blood as well as spit test for head and neck cancer! Finally! Developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins, this new blood/spit test is able to detect squamous cell carcinoma with astounding accuracy using a combination of both DNA mutations and HPV markers.  …

6/26/2015 0

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How a Tracheostomy Hole Heals Closed (Time Lapse)

When a patient undergoes a tracheostomy , it is not a permanent thing. Once a patient is healthy enough, the tracheostomy tube can be removed and the existing hole in the throat will spontaneously start to heal closed. In a process called healing by secondary intention, the body creates granulation tissue along with scarring that slowly but surely closes the trach opening shut. In the rare situation it does not completely close, a surgical procedure can be performed. Here are some pictures…

12/18/2014 5

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Lawsuit Over Neck Cancer Misdiagnosed by Smell

In December 2012, a physician assistant (PA) excised a 3 cm right neck mass from a patient. In perhaps one of the more bizarre steps taken in this case, the physician assistant than smelled the excised mass, declared it non-cancerous, and threw it out in the garbage. Unfortunately, it was actually cancer which was correctly diagnosed 6 months later after the mass which had regrown was excised and sent to pathology by a doctor. The patient ultimately underwent a radical neck dissection and …

8/01/2014 0

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How Long Do Swallowing and Voice Problems Last After C-Spine Surgery ACDF?

I often see patients for swallowing and/or voice difficulties after cervical spine surgery (ACDF) . In the vast majority of cases, reassurance that such "side effects" are not uncommon is the only thing I need to provide after a complete exam. After all, both the voice box and swallowing tube are manipulated and pushed over to one side in order to perform cervical spine surgery from an anterior approach. Check out the video below that illustrates how this happens. Beyond reas…

12/29/2013 1

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Tracheostomy Fire During Surgery Burning Patient

Image from Wikipedia In early 2012, a surgeon was performing a trach (breathing hole in the neck) when the oxygen used during the procedure caught fire severely burning the patient. Apparently, the surgeon used an electrocautery device which most likely emitted a spark igniting the oxygen being given to the patient leading to the fire. [ link ] What happened? Tracheostomy procedures are performed typically in very sick patients who have been intubated for a prolonged period of time. …

12/09/2013 0

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Life-Saving Emergency Trach Performed in Restaurant

On Sept 23, 2013, a physician performed a life-saving emergency tracheotomy in a restaurant on a patron who was choking on a piece of meat. [ link ] While eating dinner at The Mark Restaurant in California,  Dr. Royce Johnson , an infectious disease doctor affiliated with UCLA, performed this procedure on Pauline Larwood, a female supervisor and a community college trustee. Dr. Johnson saved this woman's life using a pocket knife and the hollow cylinder of a pen after a Heimlich maneu…

9/25/2013 1

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Malpractice Lawsuit for Nerve Damage Sustained After Neck Cyst Excision

Earlier this month, a malpractice lawsuit resulted in a $4 million dollar award to the patient plaintiff who suffered permanent nerve damage after a family practice physician excised a cyst from the neck. [ link ] Briefly, the patient visited the family physician in July 2009 for a lump in his left neck . The family physician recommended that the mass be surgically excised which was subsequently performed by the same family physician (not a surgeon) in the office. After the procedure, the p…

9/06/2013 0

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Possible Blood Test for Oral Cancer Caused by HPV?

There might be a blood test which can possibly predict individuals who may develop oral cancer caused by HPV years before it happens. HPV, an abbreviation for human papilloma virus, encompasses over 100 different strains among which only a few can cause problems in humans. Specifically, HPV 16 can lead to cervical cancer in woman and oral cancer in both genders. HPV triggered oral cancer is also the most common cause of oral cancer now exceeding even smoking and drinking alcohol. Unl…

6/19/2013 0

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Actress Sofia Vergara Underwent Total Thyroidectomy for Thyroid Cancer

Actress Sofia Vergara , best known for her role in the TV hit comedy Modern Family, had her entire thyroid removed for thyroid cancer when she was 28 in 2000. This was followed by radioactive iodine therapy and now takes a daily thyroid hormone replacement for her hypothyroidism. Image by  Jenn Davis  from  Wikipedia Thyroid cancer is typically first suspected on a routine examination if a  neck mass  consistent with a  thyroid nodule  is palpated. An ultrasound of the neck is typicall…

5/04/2013 0

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Why Do Biopsy Results Take So Long? [video]

One of the most common questions I get after a surgical procedure is how long it takes before biopsy results are back... especially when a mass was removed and there is a cancer concern. Does it take a few hours? 24 hours? Days? Disappointingly, it can take up to 7 days if not longer. You want to know why? Well, rather than explaining, watch a 6-minute video that explains the numerous steps that goes into providing a diagnosis after a mass is removed... in this particular case, a neck …

2/28/2013 1

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Coffee Reduces Risk of Death from Oral Cancer

In a prior blog , I mentioned that researchers  found that regular coffee drinkers who drank more than four cups of coffee a day had a 39 percent decreased risk of two types of head and neck cancer: oral cavity and pharynx cancers. In the study published in the Journal of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, they found however, that coffee did not decrease the risk of laryngeal cancer. Read a CNN report on this  here . In a more recent study  (Dec 2012), researchers have found…

12/10/2012 0

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Celebrity Actors Who Have Received a Trach (Catherine Zeta Jones Included)

Image Taken From www.TopScarCream.com Tracheostomy (also known as trach) is when a hole is made in the midline neck directly into a person's windpipe ( watch video ). Although many people may shy away from this deforming procedure, it can be life-saving. On that note, here is a short list of famous celebrity actors who have undergone an emergency trach for one reason or another: Catherine Zeta-Jones Apparently, when she was a child, she had an emergency trach done. She still has a…

12/04/2012 1

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ENT Surgeons Who Use daVinci Robot

Readers know my skepticism on the practicality of the daVinci robot in ENT head and neck surgeries. However, that does not mean that I do not doubt its effectiveness in certain unique situations... as well as market forces that use such high (and expensive) technology to market a given hospital's services. In any case, plenty of patients have asked me if there's any ENT surgeons who use the daVinci robot in the region. There are... and here are two that I am aware of. Dr. Dav…

10/04/2012 0

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Creative Ways to Wear a Scarf for Patients with a Trach or Ugly Neck Scar

[Watch the video below!!!] Given I operate on the neck not uncommonly... a common fear for a patient is how the incision will look afterwards. For a simple neck mass excision, the incision almost always heals just fine to the point nobody will notice the scar. However, this concern is multiplied a hundred-fold when a patient undergoes a tracheostomy (hole in neck) for severe obstructive sleep apnea or for some other airway reason. It could even be a laryngectomy where the entire voi…

7/07/2012 1

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Video on Zenker's Diverticulum Surgery (Endoscopic Staple Diverticulostomy)

Our office has produced a new video describing Endoscopic Staple Diverticulostomy to treat Zenker's Diverticulum. We have the unusual honor of having treated patients throughout the United States for this rare condition. Patients we have successfully treated have come from as far away as Oregon, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Arizona, etc. For more information, please visit us here .

4/26/2012 0

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How Does Cervical Spine Surgery Potentially Cause Voice and Swallow Problems? [video]

It is not unusual for an ENT surgeon to see patients with swallowing and voice difficulties after cervical spine surgery. In particular, the ACDF surgery (Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion). The key to understanding these issues is to first understand the anatomy involved. The cervical spine is located in the back of the neck. In front of this spine is the esophagus (swallowing tube) and voicebox . As such, when a spine surgeon goes through the FRONT of the neck in order to per…

4/04/2012 38

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Strong Sneeze Broke Woman's Neck

Fox News reported yesterday about an Australian woman, Monique Jeffrey, who sneezed SO hard that she broke her neck... literally. According to the neurosurgeon the patient eventually saw, her C1 and C2 vertebrae had dislocated and were displaced which resulted in her symptoms of excruciating pain with her head locked to her right shoulder and in too much pain to move anything but her right arm. Her left arm was also numb with tingling. She was placed in a halo traction for three months w…

3/28/2012 0

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Carpenter Shoots Himself in the Neck with Nail Gun

According to Boston News , in early December 2011, a carpenter accidentally discharged a nail gun and embedded a 3.5 inch nail in the bottom of his neck. Based on the CT scan included here, it appears the nail entered the neck dead center given the clear appearance of the windpipe. Based on the location, the anatomic sequence of nail piercing is as follows: Skin --> Thyroid Gland --> Trachea --> Esophagus Back Wall --> Cervical Vertebral Body The damage to skin, thyroid, and…

12/18/2011 0

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