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Introduction An open approach to thyroidectomies through neck provides good exposure and safe dissection however, the patient still has a scar. Endoscopic thyroid surgery has been practised since the late 90s. The latest addition is the transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy by vestibular approach. Materials and Methods We at our centre performed this surgery on 3 patients. Here we present our initial experience of transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy by vestibular approach (TOETVA). Results Two of the three patients did not have any complication. Diffuse bleeding was encountered during one instance and decision was taken to convert it into an open procedure. Conclusion The preliminary experience of transoral thyroidectomy by vestibular approach shows it to be a feasible and promising ‘scarless’ and ‘minimally invasive’ surgery.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 is an ongoing pandemic and a global health emergency. Since the main portal of entry for the virus is the nose, olfactory and taste dysfunction have gained attention as important symptoms in COVID-19. The primary objectives are to assess the prevalence of olfactory and taste dysfunction in patients affected with COVID-19. And to determine whether anosmia and ageusia are early predictors of COVID-19. A prospective study was conducted on 300 patients who were laboratory diagnosed cases of COVID-19 admitted in tertiary care centre and a covid care centre. A written informed consent was taken. All patients underwent olfactory and taste examination and the details were noted in a case-record proforma. The prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 patients was 21% and that of taste dysfunction was 26.6%. Majority of the affected individuals were males and mainly of the younger age group. These symptoms lasted for a duration of 7–9 days and 97% of the patients showed complete recovery. Acute sudden onset olfactory and taste dysfunction seems to be a useful indicator for early diagnosis of patients thus helping in early isolation, timely management of the illness and controlling the spread of the disease.

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