UAMS Welcomes International Otology Fellows for Surgical Course
| April 28, 2016 | Physicians from 10 countries gathered April 22-24 at UAMS to study advanced surgical techniques for the inner ear. The first-ever Otology Fellows Congress and Advanced Course in Ear and Skull Base Surgery drew 24 otology/neurotology fellows from around the world to participate in lectures and extensive laboratory sessions on techniques beyond those covered in a typical educational setting.
The three-day course included lectures, laboratory instruction and roundtable discussions.
“We were honored to offer this advanced course for our otology and neurotology colleagues. UAMS’ dedication to clinical care and research in this field made us an ideal setting for an international educational course of this magnitude,” said John Dornhoffer, M.D., professor and vice chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery in the UAMS College of Medicine. Dornhoffer also is director of the Division of Otology and Neurotology at UAMS and its affiliate Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
Otology refers to the treatment of middle ear disease and conductive hearing loss, whereas neurotology refers to treatment of inner ear conditions, or hearing and balance disorders.
Dornhoffer served as program chair, along with former UAMS faculty member and course convenor Michael Gluth, M.D., now of the University of Chicago Medicine Pritzker School of Medicine; and Brandon Isaacson, M.D., and J. Walter Kutz Jr., M.D., both of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. John D. Day, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery in the UAMS College of Medicine, was one of the feature lecturers. Seven additional guest faculty from the United States, Singapore and Australia were also on hand to provide lectures, laboratory instruction and roundtable discussions.
The three-day course, which had a waiting list for attendees, was held at the UAMS Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute and its Yasargil Surgical Skills Laboratory and Education Center. In addition to the otology/neurotology fellows, UAMS nurses and medical residents also attended the lecture sessions.