In pharyngeal pouch surgery, the relatively new technique of endoscopic stapling diverticulotomy has a number of advantages over more traditional surgical treatments, such as Dohlman’s procedure and open pouch excision, and now seems to be the procedure of choice. However, a number of iatrogenic perforations and deaths have been reported with this procedure. We present three cases of iatrogenic perforations occurring during endoscopic stapling of a pharyngeal pouch by different surgeons in our unit, and review the management, causes and prevention of this potentially life-threatening complication.

Nasal polyps are common, affecting one to four per cent of the population. Their cause, however, remains unknown and it is possible that it is not the same in all patients. They have a clear association with asthma, aspirin sensitivity and cystic fibrosis. Histologically they demonstrate large quantities of extracellular fluid, mast cell degranulation and an infiltrate of inflammatory cells, usually eosinophils. While this appearance would suggest an allergic pathology there is little conclusive evidence to support this in most patients. There is, however, some preliminary evidence to suggest that a local allergic process could be the cause. While allergic fungal sinusitis is a well defined clinical entity with recognized diagnostic criteria the ubiquitous nature of fungal spores makes the role of fungal infection in patients with nasal polyps difficult to determine and currently this remains unclear.

Surgical treatment of nasal polyps has declined in recent years as the benefits of medical treatment have become increasingly recognized. There is good evidence to support the use of corticosteroids both as a primary and post-operative treatment in the majority of patients. Other medical treatments require further evaluation before they could be considered a viable alternative to steroids. Assessment of the literature regarding surgical intervention is difficult and there is little evidence on which to base a surgical treatment philosophy. The authors believe that an endoscopic approach using a microdebrider facilitates accurate removal of polyps with preservation of normal anatomy.

The 2002 Graham Fraser Memorial Lecture deals first with the French origins of cochlear implantation in Paris in the 1950s and the role of André Djourno and Charles Eyriès. Following this work in Paris Dr William House in Los Angeles continued work on cochlear implants and, subsequently, experimental implant programmes were started in California, Paris, Vienna and Melbourne.

The next section of this lecture covers the experimental work of Galvani in establishing the role of electricity in physiology. The results of his first experiments were published in 1791, the year that Mondini produced the first account of a cochlear malformation in a congenitally deaf child.

At around the same time sign language for congenitally deaf children was being developed for the first time in Paris by Epée and the first disputes occurred between oralists and those who promoted signing for the education of congenitally deaf children.

In a present day cochlear implant programme good results from implanting congenitally deaf children at an early age and implanting adults who have become profoundly deaf are now taken for granted. We do have much to learn, however, from more complex implant candidates and some examples of such candidates are presented.

Lastly, looking to the future, the use of PET scanning to try and gain information about how the brain handles the information provided to it by a cochlear implant is described.

Until recently the practice of otological procedures on cadaver temporal bones was a common occurrence in otolaryngology departments. The difficulty in acquiring specimens has led to alternative techniques which involve artificial and computer-aided models. This article looks at the present situation in these rapidly developing areas and describes an artificial model developed by the senior author for training in middle-ear procedures.

Three-dimensional computer-aided surgery adds a ‘third-dimension’ to endoscopic sinus surgery. The images it provides have the potential to provide the surgeon with further information that might result in safer and more effective surgery with less surgical morbidity. The gold test, as yet untested, will be whether the technique leads to fewer revision procedures and complications as a result of more complete and safe initial surgery. Its greatest asset lies in reinforcing the surgeons’ estimate of an instrument’s position in a difficult anatomical area. It can augment the learning curve and enhance teaching and training in endoscopic sinus surgery but it is not a substitute for a thorough knowledge of paranasal sinus anatomy.

This article presents a new approach to understanding the physiological functions of the mastoid cell system. It is suggested that the cell system, in combination with the continuous blood flow through the adjacent large vessels, makes up a compound functional unit that serves to protect the sensitive vestibular part of the inner ear from inadequate stimulation by external temperature changes. By virtue of the large surface area of the cell system mucosa with respect to the enclosed gas volume, the mastoid cell system may also work as a pressure regulator. Variations of the bi-directional exchange of fluid over the capillary network in the mucosa will change the size of the lumen that is available for the gas in the cell system. Volumes of gas and fluid can thus be exchanged to keep the intratympanic pressure within physiological limits. The process is most effective in a cell system with a high area-to-volume ratio.