Position Statement: Submucosal Ablation of the Tongue Base for OSAS
Position StatementAdult patients with mild to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can be successfully treated with submucosal radiofrequency tongue base ablation.(Powell 1999 and refs below) The majority of studies demonstrating effectiveness of tongue base submucosal radiofrequency ablation (RFA) have been performed in patients with mild…
Position Statement: Use of the Term "Doctor" in Advertising and Patient Communications
Position StatementWith the emergence of the clinical doctorate degree in allied healthcare fields including nursing, audiology, and speech-language pathology, allied healthcare providers who have achieved their doctorate degrees are increasingly using the title of Doctor in their practice settings, advertisements, and other patient communications.Since…
Position Statement: Nasal Surgery and OSAS
Position StatementNasal surgery is a beneficial modality for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Nasal surgery can facilitate the treatment of OSA by improving compliance with CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). There is significant correlation between nasal resistance or obstruction and CPAP non-acceptance where…
Position Statement: Use of Animals in Research
Position StatementThe American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery recognizes the use of animals in research has enabled many of the medical and surgical treatments now available to the field of otolaryngology and surgery of the head and neck. The AAO-HNS support the judicious…
Position Statement: Scope of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
Position StatementThe American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery agrees with the policy of the American Medical Association that surgeons should be allowed to do all procedures for which they are qualified by training and experience. Otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons are, by training…
Position Statement: Tobacco Use and Secondhand Smoke
Position StatementSmoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the world. The negative health effects of the use of tobacco products represent a global pandemic of enormous proportions. Ear, nose and throat manifestations of second-hand tobacco exposure include, but are not limited to, significant…
Position Statement: Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis and Gardasil Vaccination
Position StatementRecurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is characterized by recurrent papillomatous lesions that grow primarily on the vocal folds but may involve other parts of the upper airway.(1-2) This disease can affect both children and adults.(1-2) Although it is a benign disease, malignant…
Position Statement: Patient Physician Covenant
Position Statement(Modified from the Journal of the American Medical Association, May 17, 1995) Medicine is, at its center, a moral enterprise grounded in a covenant of trust. This covenant obliges physicians to be competent and to use their competence in the patient's best interests…
Position Statement: Industry Representatives in the Operating Room
Position StatementWhen the presence of an industry representative is necessary, helpful, or confers an educational benefit in this setting, the otolaryngologist and industry representative have certain responsibilities to the patient and staff in the Operating Room or Procedure Room (collectively referred to as the “OR” in…
Position Statement: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination for Prevention of HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Cancer
Position StatementOver the past three decades, there has been a clear decrease in the prevalence of tobacco use in the United States and an associated decline in tobacco‐related head and neck cancers.1 The incidence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)‐related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC…
Position Statement: Humanitarian Photography
Position StatementThe American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery recognizes that photodocumentation of patients and procedures during humanitarian efforts is critical for record-keeping, scholarship, and fund-raising. However, the AAO-HNS also recognizes that the threat to patient privacy by the online publication of…
Position Statement: Choice of Physicians
Position StatementThe American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery strongly supports, as being in the public interest, the establishment of reimbursement plans by third-party payers that promote the patient's freedom of choice of physicians among all appropriately trained physicians (MD, DO) licensed…
Position Statement: Treatment for Microtia and Anotia
Position StatementThe American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery ("AAO-HNS") recognizes microtia and anotia as congential birth defects. These conditions are associated with appreciable psychological and functional ramifications if left untreated. Reconstructive surgery is appropriate as a primary treatment in both children and adults…
Position Statement: Plastic Surgery
Position StatementThe American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery recognizes that facial plastic surgery is an integral part of the specialty and is a fundamental area of expertise for otolaryngologistshead and neck surgeons. An otolaryngology resident spends a minimum of four years training exclusively…
Care of Children Infected with Cytomegalovirus
Position StatementThe risk for transmission of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), a common in-utero infection and a leading cause of childhood hearing loss, in healthcare settings, daycare and schools including for pregnant workers is low. In fact, healthcare workers, regardless of the type of patient contact, do…
Position Statement: The Use of Biomaterials in Sinonasal Procedures
Position StatementThe American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery has determined that the use of FDA-approved biomaterials can be utilized in sinonasal procedures to improve patient outcomes and reduce complications. These items, such as implants, stents, and packing materials, have functions including, but not…
Position Statement: Sinus Endoscopy
Position StatementThe American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery recognizes that endoscopic evaluation and endoscopic surgery are accepted modalities of diagnosis and treatment for sinonasal disorders. Adopted 3/2/1990 Reviewed 9/16/1995 Revised 9/16/1995 Submitted for Review 3/1/1998 Reaffirmed…
Position Statement: Botulinum Toxin Treatment
Position StatementI. Treatment of Spasmodic Dysphonia (Laryngeal Dystonia) The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery ("AAO-HNS") considers Botulinum toxin a safe and effective modality for the treatment of spasmodic dysphonia and it may be offered as primary therapy for this disorder.1 II…