Tharsika Myuran, ENT ST6 East of England Deanery.
The new two-day format of the BRS Annual Meeting was a welcome opportunity for networking and catching up with colleagues. The event kicked off with a morning dedicated to British Rhinological Society Juniors. The jewel of this section was a UK Rhinological Fellowship Forum which included talks from Fellows and Fellowship directors from across the country, giving trainees access to a wealth of practical information and opportunity for Q&A.
The wider meeting featured updates in the field including the Storz lecture on Functional Rhinoplasty by Mr Gwijde Adriaensen from Amsterdam University Medical Centers and a number of panel discussions around rhinological cases, which included honest insightful accounts of complications or challenging cases. An impressive array of research was presented by trainees from a variety of levels of seniority.
Right: Miss Catherine Rennie, Consultant Rhinologist, Charing Cross Hospital.
The overall value of the meeting was enhanced by the inclusion of a drinks reception and dinner dance between the two days, which was thoroughly enjoyed until the early hours for some. This did not hamper enthusiasm for the following day which started with awards of research grants, Dragon’s Den style.
The President Mr Raj Bhalla gave the President’s Award, an award to someone who has made a special contribution to the career of the BRS President, to Professor Timothy Woolford (pictured left) who then gave a heartfelt talk which described challenges throughout his own career. Along with reflections on songwriting, he provided pearls of wisdom relevant to any surgeon.
This then set the stage for topics relevant to the future of the specialty, ‘Nasal Surgery under Local Anaesthesia’ by Mr Miran Pankhania and the ‘The Use of Biologics in Rhinology’ by Professor Claire Hopkins. Whilst biologics are set to revolutionise the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis particularly in the early stages of the disease, she made it clear that the need for expert rhinological surgeons in the field remains as important as ever.
The meeting closed with the society Annual General Meeting, where it was announced the society would come fully under the auspices of ENT UK. There was special mention of the society’s commitment to upholding equality, diversity and inclusivity, and the diverse faculty evident throughout the conference was pleasing to see.
Next meeting: Southampton 18-19 May 2023.
