Obesity in children significantly increases the risk of respiratory complications following surgery for sleep-disordered breathing. Overnight hospitalization for obese children is recommended.

Background: Recent research has indicated that botulinum toxin type A may have an inhibitory effect on the formation of fibroblasts and thus possibly decreases the severity of scar formation. Therefore, a trial was designed to assess the effects of botulinum toxin type A on scar formation after thyroid surgery. Methods: A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial was designed. All patients underwent a preoperative survey to assess scar history. All patients underwent a total thyroidectomy, hemithyroidectomy, or parathyroidectomy through a standardized incision. At the conclusion of the case, one half of the incision was injected with botulinum toxin type A, and the other half was injected with saline (placebo). The scars were then evaluated at 4 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively using subjective scar analysis scales. Results: A total of 40 patients were enrolled. There was no significant difference in scarring at any of the time points between the botulinum toxin type A–treated and placebo sides of the incision. A subgroup analysis was performed that examined the effects of botulinum toxin type A on those with a severe scar history. This demonstrated a significant decrease in scarring at 6 months postoperatively on the botulinum toxin type A–treated side. Conclusions: This study indicates that botulinum toxin type A administration immediately after surgical closure of a thyroid incision does not demonstrate a difference in scar outcomes compared with the control side. However, there was less scarring in subjects who had a severe scar history. This study found opposite results to a similarly designed study. Further study is required to determine the optimal use of botulinum toxin type A for wound healing. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, II.

Objective. To assess the outcomes of functional rhinoplasty for nasal valve incompetence and to evaluate an in-office test used to select appropriate surgical techniques. Methods. Patients with nasal obstruction due to nasal valve incompetence were enrolled. The modified Cottle maneuver was used to assess the internal and external nasal valves to help select the appropriate surgical method. The rhinoplasty outcomes evaluation (ROE) form and a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS) of nasal breathing were used to compare preoperative and postoperative symptoms. Results. Forty-nine patients underwent functional rhinoplasty evaluation. Of those, 35 isolated batten or spreader grafts were inserted without additional procedures. Overall mean ROE score increased significantly (P < 0.0001) from 41.9 ± 2.4 to 81.7 ± 2.5 after surgery. Subjective improvement in nasal breathing was also observed with the VAS (mean improvement of 4.5 (95% CI 3.8–5.2) from baseline (P = 0.000)). Spearman rank correlation between predicted outcomes using the modified Cottle maneuver and postoperative outcomes was strong for the internal nasal valve (Rho = 0.80; P = 0.0029) and moderate for the external nasal valve (Rho = 0.50; P = 0.013). Conclusion. Functional rhinoplasty improved subjective nasal airflow in our population. The modified Cottle maneuver was effective in predicting positive surgical outcomes.