Dr Sarfraz Latif presenting 'Nonsurgical concerns improving FESS results.'
Syed Ahmed Shahzaeem Hussain, Third Year Postgraduate Trainee, ENT Department, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan and Syeda Anum Fatima Naqvi, Medical Student, Nishtar Medical University, Multan.
The enchanting city streets of Peshawar saw legions of rhinologists, both elite and novice, gather from far and wide to participate once again in Pakistan’s annual rhinology rendezvous, Rhinocon. Whether you were looking for a whiff of wisdom or sniffing out excellence, the 6th Rhinocon was the place to be.
After the recitation of the Holy Quran and a warm welcoming address by the organisers, the proceedings kicked off with the highly anticipated scientific programme. The focuses of the first day included rhinoplasty and a myriad of FESS procedures. Professor Tajammul Chaudhry’s lecture on ‘Shortening of an overly long nose – a special challenge in Asians with thick skin,’ delved deep into the numerous facets of tackling these tricky cases. Dr Shahzada Ahmed’s virtual lecture ’Managing complications in skull base surgery’ was particularly intriguing and educational.
On the second day, 13 young rhinologists took the stage to present their work (right). The conference committee’s emphasis on promoting young trainees cannot be overstated. The booking of an entire hall solely for young rhinologists to present their work is a highly commendable precedent, one that future conferences should surely strive to emulate.
Dr Maria Adeel won the oral presentations, with ‘Translation and validation of SNOT 22 in Urdu language’. Dr Syed Ahmed Shahzaeem Hussain and Syeda Anum Fatima Naqvi won the poster competition with ‘Exploring one year of maxillary artery clipping for hemostasis in angiofibroma excision: insights from a tertiary care hospital’.
The focus of the keynote lectures on the second day was juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma excision and skull base surgery, with interesting talks by Drs Narayanan Janakiram and Asmatullah Achakzai. The keynote lectures led into insightful interactive sessions by Dr Remo Accorona on innovative approaches to cancers of the pterygoid and masticator spaces, and Dr Khursheed Alam with tips and tricks on basic FESS, a session of particular benefit.
A myriad of indulgent, hearty Peshawari cuisines and ample networking were the highlights of the multiple lunches and gala dinner. As young aspiring rhinologists, the prestige and far-extending reach of the event gave us a much-needed platform to interact with the trailblazers in our field. From the absolute fundamentals to the cutting edge, each lesson learnt certainly added to the building blocks needed to mould a complete rhinologist.
With captivating speakers, a detailed programme, and an enthralling location, the 6th Rhinocon did not disappoint. It certainly deserves to be etched into the undeniably abundant heritage of this magnificent city.
