Clifton Wijaya presenting the best oral/poster to Teja Kaare, University of Limerick Medical Student with Professor Calvin Coffey in the background.
Professor John E Fenton, Consultant in Academic ORL-HNS University Hospital Limerick and current President UEMS-ORL.
The Head and Neck Faculty at the University of Limerick was delighted to welcome back presenters and attendees, including many regular stalwart supporters of our section, to the first live version of the annual Sylvester O'Halloran Surgical Scientific meeting in four years. This congress was one of the first to be cancelled due to the evolving COVID pandemic in early March 2020; a brave, prescient and correct decision by Professor Calvin Coffey prior to the ultimate introduction of stringent restrictions. The regular convenor, Professor John Fenton, was joined as guest co-chair by his colleague and previous trainee, Clifton Wijaya, from the associated University of Limerick Academic ORL-HNS Department at the University Hospital Tullamore.
The plenary sessions over the three days of the symposium were as usual relevant, beneficial and of an exceptional standard. Two prizes were again on offer for best oral and oral/poster presentations. Papers reflected the truly multidisciplinary nature of this session while an invitation was extended to our allied perioperative therapies, including nursing, SALT and physiotherapy, to submit papers into the future.
The winner of the best oral presentation was Cian Henry representing the admirable collaborative efforts of ORL-HNS, plastic surgery, SALT and OMFS at St James’ Hospital/Trinity College, Dublin. He reported on an observational study looking at speech and swallow outcomes following formal free flap reconstruction versus no formal reconstruction in oral cavity cancer.
In keeping with the established ethos of providing an easy-going and relaxed forum for young presenters to present for first time, Teja Kaare, a third-year medical student at the University of Limerick, won the best oral/poster presentation for a practice review from the local department of the role of MRI cervical spine in ORL-HNS.
The next Sylvester O’Halloran Surgical Scientific Meeting is expected to run in March 2024 (tbc).
Consultant attendees from left: Brian Moriarty, Tralee, Clifton Wijaya, Tullamore, Professor Ivan Keogh, Galway, and Professor John Fenton, Limerick & Kerry.
