Laryngology and Rhinology Section President – Guri Sandhu
It is a great honour for me to take on the Presidency of the Section of Laryngology and Rhinology at the Royal Society of Medicine. We have a very interesting, thought-provoking and educational programme ahead.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the November and December 2020, and probably February 2021, meetings will be webinars. I am hoping March and May 2021 will have mostly live presentations. One advantage of the virtual talks is that they will be available for viewing for a month afterwards.
On 6 November, we are presenting New Concepts in Laryngeal Disease, with the Semon Lecture being delivered by Professor Johann Fagan on clinical research in laryngeal cancer, followed by Professor Blake Simpson speaking on the irritable larynx.
On 4 December we have several small talks from leaders in their fields, entitled ‘Top Tips from the Experts’. This will hopefully give insights into perfecting challenging surgical procedures.
As a Laryngologist, for the 5 February meeting, I have placed an emphasis on the professional voice, with Ramon Franco, from Boston USA, speaking on voice emergencies and Professor Marcus Hess, from Germany, speaking on in-office procedures. This will be followed by a round table discussion of difficult cases with a panel of experts.
The 5 March meeting will have an emphasis on the paediatric airway, with Professor Chris Hartnick, Boston USA, discussing decision-making in paediatric airway stenosis; Kishore Sandu, Lausanne Switzerland, speaking on airway problems in syndromic children; and Adam Donne, Liverpool, updating us on HPV-related respiratory papillomatosis.
My presidential address will take place during the meeting on 7 May and I will discuss my journey to becoming a Laryngologist, and our push to promote and develop the field in the UK. Professor Greg Postma, Georgia USA, will be the RSM visiting professor. As a world leader in the field, he will discuss new frontiers in dysphagia management.
Guri Sandhu,
Consultant Laryngologist, Imperial College London, UK.
www.britishlaryngological.org
Otology Section President – Philip Robinson
I am delighted and very honoured to be about to become President of the section of Otology at the Royal Society of Medicine. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused some disruption, it has also created opportunities, and I hope that the academic programme that we have put together for this year will be stimulating and enjoyable. The November and December meetings have become virtual and the other sessions planned on a flexible basis.
One of the joys of becoming President is the opportunity to shape the academic programme and to invite stimulating speakers, and I hope that you will enjoy the talks. Although we cannot meet at the RSM in person at present, I hope that you will continue to support the RSM and join in the webinars, which will be available for 30 days afterwards. And I hope to be able to welcome you back to Wimpole Street next year in more normal times!
The meeting on 6 November will be on Paediatric Otology and the Edith Whetnall Lecture, with Peter Rea speaking on the dizzy child, Philip Clamp on a longitudinal study of who develops ear disease, Owen Judd on retraction pockets, and Professor Michal Luntz from Tel Aviv, will give the Edith Whetnall Lecture on middle ear aeration and its effect on ear disease.
The meeting in December is on New Developments in Otology and Disease Understanding, with speakers on AI in otology, midbrain auditory implants and novel uses of middle ear implants, along with Professor Stephen O’Keefe from Pittsburgh who is a world leader in the field of microbiomes and their role in human disease. The meeting will finish with a round table discussion on clinical cases.
In February 2021, the session is dedicated to Tinnitus and New Technology in Hearing Aids; tinnitus is a much-neglected problem and yet accounts for 10% of referrals to ENT departments. David Baguley will discuss the latest research on the cause of tinnitus, and other talks will cover tinnitus rehabilitation, medicolegal aspects and pulsatile tinnitus. Dr Stefan Launer, Head of Research at Sonova, will present some of the extraordinary advances in hearing aid technology.
In March, we will hold the short paper presentations and also hear from experts in their field on single-sided deafness, third windows and the military, diving and the ear.
In May 2021, I have invited Professor Adrian James from Toronto, one of the world’s leading Endoscopic Ear Surgeons, to be the RSM visiting Professor, and he will talk on his experience managing cholesteatoma in children.
The Presidential address has moved to May and will discuss a 35-year experience in the field of cochlear implantation, from early development to the current state.
Philip Robinson,
Consultant Adult & Paediatric Otolaryngologist,
University of Bristols NHS Trust; Director,
West of England Hearing Implant Programme;
Immediate Past President, British Society of Otology.
http://philiprobinsonbristolent.co.uk/ent-surgeon-bristol
