Forskningsenheden for Øre-Næse-Hals, Aalborg Universitetshospital

📢 Discover the latest advancements in bone-anchored hearing implants: insights from a multicenter study 📢 Dive into the fascinating world of bone-anchored hearing implants (BAHI) and learn how innovative surgical techniques transform patient experiences 🧏 A new multicenter study involving seven European university hospitals from the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, and The Netherlands has shed light on the clinical outcomes of the MONO surgical procedure 🏥 Head of the Audiovestibular Department in Aalborg, Dan Dupont Hougaard, represents Denmark and our department in the study 👨⚕️ The continuous development of surgical procedures is critical in enhancing patient outcomes and the efficacy of procedures. Since the introduction of bone-anchored hearing implants in 1977, the techniques for implantation have undergone significant refinements 📈 The introduction of the MONO procedure is an important advancement, characterized by reduced drilling and minimizing patient discomfort. This approach simplifies the surgery and aims to improve overall patient outcomes 😄 This multicenter study included a cohort of 51 patients who required surgery with bone-anchored hearing system (BAHS) implants. Over a three-month follow-up period post-surgery, the researchers observed patients’ progress, symptoms, and physical findings during check-ups 🔍 The results? The MONO procedure is safe and efficient, marking a significant step forward in the auditory rehabilitation field 🔊 ➡️ Explore the detailed findings and insights by reading the full article titled “Evaluation of Clinical Performance of Ponto Implantation Using a Minimally Invasive Surgical Technique-A Prospective Multicenter Study” here (open access): https://lnkd.in/dqftcvhk #ENT #Audiology #MONO #BAHA #BAHI #BoneAnchoredHearingAid #BoneAnchoredHearingImplant #AalborgUH

Globalt sammenhold og innovation: AAO-HNSF Kongressen i Miami Beach åbnede døre for ny ØNH-viden ✈ 🌎 I år deltog fire øre-, næse-, halslæger fra Aalborg Universitetshospital i den årlige amerikanske ØNH-kongres, AAO-HNSF (American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation), der fandt sted i Miami Beach. AAO-HNSF er verdens største kongres for specialister inden for øre-, næse-, halskirurgi og hoved-halsmedicin, som samlede tusindvis af eksperter fra hele verden 👂 👃 🙎♂️ Kongressen bød på spændende foredrag, workshops og livlige diskussioner om de nyeste fremskridt inden for vores speciale. Vi fik muligheden for at dykke ned i den nyeste forskning og innovative teknologier, som har potentiale til at forbedre behandlingsmetoder og patientpleje. Kongressen var ikke kun en kilde til faglig opdatering, men også en fantastisk mulighed for at netværke med kolleger og udveksle erfaringer på tværs af landegrænser 👨🏫 🤝 Vores mål var at vende hjem med værdifuld indsigt og inspiration, som vi kan implementere i vores praksis til gavn for patienter i Danmark. Derfor er vi glade for at kunne meddele, at kongressen uden tvivl var en oplevelse rig på ny viden, der styrkede vores faglighed, som kan bidrage med at løfte standarden inden for øre-, næse-, halskirurgi 🛬 🧠 #ØNH #AAOHNSF #Kongres #Innovation #Forskning #AalborgUH

We are incredibly proud that three of our dedicated and skilled doctors in the Research Unit of ORL and Audiology — Jonas Bruun Kjærsgaard, Christian Danstrup, and Lene Dahl Siggaard — have secured a grant of 2.6 million DKK from the Melsen Foundation for the purchase of new endoscopic equipment. 👏 This cutting-edge equipment will significantly enhance the diagnostic process for patients referred to our throat clinic on suspicion of cancer. With this new technology, many patients will be able to confirm or rule out a cancer diagnosis more quickly, thereby shortening the time from initial suspicion to the potential start of cancer treatment. We are eagerly looking forward to putting this new equipment to use and learning even more about how we can diagnose our patients with suspected head and neck cancer more quickly, gently, and accurately. #CancerDiagnosis #ENTResearch #InnovationInHealthcare #PatientCare #HeadAndNeckCancer #MedicalAdvancements

Tillykke til Malene Krogh og medforfatterne for udgivelsen af hendes første ph.d.-artikel 👏 Ph.d.-studerende Malene Hentze Hansen er medforfatter på artiklen, som udgår fra Almen Medicin på Aalborg Universitetshospital, hvor hun startede sin forskningsmæssige karriere 👩⚕️ Denne erfaring tager hun nu i brug på Øre-Næse-Halskirurgisk Afdeling. Om dette siger hun: ”Jeg værdsætter, at jeg fik mulighed for at få samlet lidt erfaring inden for kvalitativ forskning. Jeg synes, det er en vigtig disciplin, der bl.a. har den styrke, at det prioriterer dybde ved at fokusere på de individuelle perspektiver. Det gør det muligt at udforske forskningsemnet fra en anden vinkel end kvantitativ forskning kan alene. Selvom jeg aktuelt kun arbejder med kvantitativ forskning, der er baseret på en større datamængde og derved prioriterer bredde, finder jeg mit kendskab til kvalitativ forskning meget brugbart. Det giver mig en forståelse af nuancer og kontekst i mine kvantitative data. Kvantitativ forskning kan vise mønstre og tendenser i data, men ikke altid forklare, hvorfor de opstår. Mit kendskab til kvalitativ forskning har hjulpet mig med at kunne tænke over de underliggende årsager, der kan påvirke mine kvantitative resultater” 💡 🔄   Læs mere om artiklen i Malene Kroghs LinkedIn-opslag 👇

Empowering medical research through diverse competencies 🧠🔍 In today's rapidly evolving and increasingly digitized world, medical researchers may gain immensely from acquiring skills beyond the traditional scope of planning, executing, and analyzing clinical research studies. By expanding knowledge in areas such as business strategy and organization, innovation strategy and business model development, market and competition analysis, business economics, and project leadership, researchers may better understand how innovations and research outcomes can be effectively integrated and implemented into modern healthcare systems 📖 🏥 Therefore, we would like to highlight the journey of one of our own, Lene Dahl Siggaard, PhD and ENT specialist, who has embarked on the 3rd semester of her Master of Business Administration. Over the past three days, Lene has begun crafting a comprehensive assignment on private-public collaborations in Danish healthcare, focusing on methodology within one of the three paradigms of science philosophy. Additionally, she will be diving into courses focusing on project leadership in innovative organizations and how to harness digital transformations' power in both the public and private sectors 🚀 By June 2025, Lene will have completed her MBA, bringing new knowledge back to our research group. This expertise will undoubtedly enhance our ability to integrate our research into future clinical practices, ultimately benefiting the healthcare community 👩⚕️📚 #MedicalResearch #Innovation #Healthcare #BusinessStrategy #DigitalTransformation #PhilosophyOfScience #ProjectLeadership #MBAJourney #FutureOfHealthcare

Aalborg University Hospital Shares Key Vestibular Research and Insights at the Bárány Society Meeting 🧠 There was a strong turnout from the ENT and Audiology Department at Aalborg University Hospital at this year's Bárány Society Meeting, where residents, PhD students, and senior consultants presented posters and oral presentations 👏 The Department contributed to the meeting with: ➡️ A poster on Peter Brandt Sloth and Emil Krogsgaard Nielsen’s master's thesis titled “Vestibular function in patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea”, ➡️ A poster on PhD student Malene Hentze Hansen’s research on BPPV titled “Diagnostics of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: manual versus mechanical rotation chair diagnostics”, ➡️ A poster on PhD student Jonas Bruun Kjærsgaard’s research within the vestibular system titled “Reconsidering the origin of cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials: a scoping review”, ➡️ An oral presentation from the Head of the Audiovestibular Department Dan Dupont Hougaard titled “Psychological impact of having a vestibular disease – preliminary data from a tertiary university hospital”, ➡️ An oral presentation, moderator function, and several co-authorships from Professor Herman Kingma, ➡️ Senior registrar Karoline Feekings and Dan Dupont Hougaard represented the Danish Society for Vestibulology along with the rest of the board. PhD student Malene Hentze Hansen attended the meeting for the first time, saying this about the experience: “Spending four days with experts who share my passion for vestibulology was an amazing experience. I gained valuable insights into the latest research and clinical practices, but the best part was the chance to connect and have inspiring conversations. This really deepened my understanding of BPPV and gave me a stronger foundation to discuss my own research" 👨⚕️🗨️ 👩⚕️ The Bárány Society is a global society focused on studying the vestibular system and its role in balance, orientation, and spatial perception. The society provides a platform for researchers and experts worldwide to share their latest findings and participate in engaging discussions 🌍 🩺 Head of the Audiovestibular Department, Associate Professor Dan Dupont Hougaard emphasizes: “It is of paramount importance to meet with fellow peers to gain new insights into the latest knowledge and to discuss possible future collaborations within this interesting and rapidly developing subspecialty. Moreover, it is a great opportunity to showcase some of the latest research from our dedicated team of very skilled researchers at the Department" 👨⚕️ #BaranySociety #ENT #Audiology #VestibularSystem #AalborgUH #Poster #OralPresentation

Remote assessment and digital infrastructure in hearing healthcare 🤖 Since November 2023, the interregional steering committee for implementation of remote assessment and digital infrastructure in hearing healthcare has been diligently working on testing workflows for digital referrals in hearing care and outlining the necessary digital infrastructure to support these referrals across regions and sectors. Steering groups members comprise of administrative and audiological health professionals from all regions. The North Denmark Region holds the chairmanship of the steering committee, with representation from our ENT research group 👨⚕️ 👩💻 By early 2025, the steering committee will report to the Health Directors of Danish Regions on whether digital referrals can… 1) improve and streamline the diagnostic process for patients with hearing loss 🦻 2) enable data sharing between patients and hearing care professionals involved in the patient's diagnostic and treatment journey, regardless of sector 🗣️ 3) reduce the number of clinical examinations and physical consultations in the diagnostic process ↘️ 4) create more cohesive treatment experiences for patients with hearing loss, contributing to the digital integration of the public and private sectors in hearing care 😀 Today, the steering committee meets again to summarize the results and experiences from the regional trials of digital referrals, and to review and approve the description and visualization of the digital infrastructure that will be developed to support digital referrals in hearing care across all regions 💻 This is an exceptionally exciting and rewarding process that our research group is eager to follow 🤩 #HearingHealthcare #DigitalInnovation #Audiology #HealthcareIntegration #DigitalInfrastructure #ENTResearch #FutureOfHealthcare

Breathing new life: how research collaborations enhance patient care 💡 A collaboration between Aarhus University Hospital and Aalborg University Hospital between doctors Mads Bøgh, Søren Gade, Dalia Gustaityté Larsen, Sten Schytte, Ulrik Pedersen, and Thomas Kjærgaard resulted in new knowledge about silicone stents in airway obstruction care for cancer patients 🏥 🧐 The team studied 81 patients who received silicone stents between 2012 and 2022 to relieve severe airway blockages caused by cancer. They aimed to evaluate how these stents affected breathing, quality of life, and overall survival. ❗ The findings showed that while silicone stents provided symptom relief for 95% of patients, the overall survival rate remained low, with an average of 158 days. Complications occurred in 25.6% of cases, and factors such as urgent intervention and preprocedural respiratory support were associated with poorer outcomes. However, post-procedural cancer treatment was linked to improved results. 👨⚕️ The study collaboration highlights the effectiveness of silicone stents in alleviating symptoms for cancer patients but also emphasizes the need for further research to identify predictors of better outcomes and enhance patient care. Hospital collaboration improves data quality, diversifies perspectives, and enables knowledge sharing. By combining resources, hospitals can develop advanced technologies and expertise, ensuring patients receive the most effective and up-to-date care available. ➡️ Read the full article here (open access): https://lnkd.in/dzWbV8J3 #Collaboration #SiliconeStents #Cancer #QualityOfLife #ENT #AalborgUH #AarhusUH

Can sports make your head spin? 🤔 Ever wondered if high-risk head trauma sports may impair vestibular function? Mads Svenstrup and Dan Dupont Hougaard did, and they set out to find the answer! To get to the bottom of this, Mads and Dan put athletes through comprehensive vHIT testing of all six semicircular canals and had them fill out the 25-item Dizziness Handicap Inventory questionnaire. Their goal was to determine if athletes in high-risk head trauma sports had any significant vestibular hypofunction 👨⚕️ They studied athletes with sports-related head injuries from ice hockey, football, handball, horseback riding, and boxing 🏒⚽🤾🏇🥊 👉 So, what did they discover? No – high-risk head trauma sports do NOT make your head spin. In other words, athletes in these sports did not suffer from impaired vestibular function after sports-related head injuries 👏 👉 What are the clinical implications? The study showed that vHIT examinations are normal in the vast majority of sports-related concussions when athletes do not feel dizzy 💡 🧠 Want to dive deeper? Read the full article here (open access): https://lnkd.in/dQwSmW_v #Vestibular #Atlete #Sports #Dizziness #vHIT #ENT #AalborgUH

Excited to share our latest article on vertigo treatment! 🧠 Our new publication by Sebastian Satkunasingam Valsted, Andreas Thesbjerg Larsen, Henriette Edemann Callesen, and Dan Dupont Hougaard dives into the effectiveness of the Epley maneuver compared to other manual repositioning maneuvers for treatment of posterior benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (P-BPPV) 👂 P-BPPV is the most common BPPV variant and has a big impact on the quality of life. Therefore, finding the most effective treatment option is crucial for improving patient outcomes 🙁 ➡️ 😊 The article provides a thorough comparison of the data on the Epley maneuver’s effectiveness against the Semont-, Li-, and Gans maneuvers through a systematic review of literature in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library 🔎 Key findings include: · The studies comparing the maneuvers revealed low to very low certainty of evidence. · The Epley maneuver showed superior results in completely resolving vertiginous symptoms over the Gans maneuver 24 hours post-treatment, but not after one week. · No significant outcome differences were found between the Epley-, Semont-, and Li maneuvers. The authors concluded that the Semont-, Li-, and Gans maneuvers are equally effective and therefore comparable to the Epley maneuver with treatment of P-BPPV 💡 Dive into the details by reading the full study and join the conversation about advancing vertigo treatment! ☝️ Read the full study here (closed access): https://lnkd.in/dDZA_jcr #BPPV #SystematicReview #Epley #Vertigo #PBPPV #AalborgUH