Position Statement: Submucosal Ablation of the Tongue Base for OSAS
September 23, 2021Adult 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
September 23, 2021With 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
September 23, 2021Nasal 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
September 23, 2021The 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
September 23, 2021The 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
September 23, 2021Smoking 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
September 23, 2021Recurrent 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
September 23, 2021(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
September 23, 2021When 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
September 23, 2021Over 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…