Hannah Lancer, ST8 ENT Registrar, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, West Midlands.
Hosted in the recently refurbished Royal College of Surgeons of England, the popular BSO Balance Course commenced with a morning of informative talks from both national and international faculty. Delegates ranged from those early on in their otolaryngology careers through to consultants, a testament to the course’s reputation
Joel Goebel delivered informative talks on taking tailored histories, performing thorough clinical examinations, and interpreting findings in dizzy patients. He also generously provided laminated aid-memoires to delegates containing all essential information on managing dizzy patients. The physiology of balance was explained through clever PowerPoint animations by Gerard Kelly, while Philip Clamp provided a concise, stepwise approach to Meniere's disease. Professor Peter Rea delivered two insightful talks on paediatric balance disorders and non-vestibular dizziness, respectively. Additional presentations by Yougan Saman, Alex Bennet, and Professor Owen Judd on vestibular neuritis, BPPV, and vestibular migraine, respectively, demystified these topics with ease. In the afternoon, delegates participated in a series of small group sessions consisting of case discussions and practical demonstrations, providing an open forum for discussion, particularly on controversial issues and difficult scenarios.
The BSO Balance Course was a fantastic event which I wholeheartedly recommend not only to those with limited exposure to balance and wishing to gain in-depth understanding, but also as a refresher for those already running their own balance clinics.
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The British Society of Otology's (BSO) annual meeting commenced with a cordial welcome address from Professor Simon Lloyd, the current president, on the topic of 'levelling the playing field.' This was followed by three exceptional presentations. Suzanna Hext, a paralympian and cochlear implant recipient, delivered an inspiring speech on her remarkable recovery and setbacks following an equine accident in her early 20s. Professor Claire Hopkins spoke fervently on equality in surgery, and Professor Mahmood Bhutta elaborated on global otology and how we can enhance our surgical practice.
Attendees were also keen to learn new techniques in tympanoplasty and ossiculoplasty from Peter Valentine and Chris Aldren, respectively. The subsequent session centered on the lateral skull base, with presentations from Omar Pathmananban on vestibular schwannoma from a neurosurgical perspective and petrous bone cholesteatomas by Patrick Axon. A highly entertaining round table discussion followed, with Richard Irving hosting Simon Freeman, Professor Shakeel Saeed, and Neil Donnelly on 'how to deal with otological disasters.'
During the lunchtime AGM, Peter Monksfield was announced as the next president of BSO, and it was revealed that next year's annual meeting would take place in Scotland. Attendees were then captivated by Steve Connor on advancements in imaging in Meniere's disease, John Phillips on Continuous Ambulatory Vestibular Assessment (CAVA), and Professor Kevin Munroe on hearing aid practice.
The final training session featured four remarkable oral presentations, with the winner being Catherine DeCates for her work on 'Sustainability of a chargeable hearing device in a deaf school to support children with hearing loss in low-income settings'. The poster prize winner was Jessica Wauchope for her work on ‘Acute Vertigo in the Emergency Department.’ The last round table on optimizing otology training, hosted by Ananth Vijendren, prompted debates on the recent changes in higher surgical training from Reshma Ghedia, Fiona McClenaghan, Lucy Dalton, and Professor Philippa Tostevin.
The eventful day continued with a tour of the recently renovated Hunterian Museum and concluded with a splendid black-tie event at the college, with some witty after-dinner speeches from Professor Richard Ramsden, Tim Mitchell, and Professor Simon Lloyd. It was a wonderful opportunity for attendees to learn and reconnect with colleagues, both old and new. Special thanks to the BSO committee, and we eagerly anticipate the next year's event in Scotland.
2024 BSO dates: 14 March Balance Course and 15 March Annual Meeting.
