History

5th International Course in the Endoscopic Sinus Surgery, Kajetany, February 20-22, 2013

5th International Course in the Endoscopic Sinus Surgery took place in the World Hearing Center of the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing in Kajetany on February 20-22, 2013.

This was a fifth already course in a very popular series addressed to rhinologists who want to widen and consolidate their knowledge and skills in the endoscopic surgery of sinuses and skull base. It is the only in Poland and one of the few in Europe training courses in this field incorporating hands-on training on the fresh-frozen head specimens.

The Kajetany Course has already earned a very good reputation in the world and can engage some of the best and most popular lecturers and instructors guaranteeing the highest scientific level of training. Lecturers on the 5th Course were recognized Polish and international authorities in rhinology and rhinosurgery, including Prof. Timoleon Terzis, M.D., Ph.D., Head of the Athens Rhinology Team from Greece, who was the lecturer and instructor on all five courses in this series. Among the invited lecturers and instructors there were also: Prof. Hans Rudolf Briner, M.D., KD Dr. from the ORL-Zentrum of the Klinik Hirslanden in Zurich, Switzerland, Prof. Piero Nicolai, M.D., Professor and Chairman of the Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Unit and Director of the Department of Surgical Specialties, Radiologic Sciences, and Public Health at the University of Brescia, Italy and Prof. Sergey Pukhlik, M.D., Ph.D. , Head of the Otorhinolaryngology Faculty from the Odessa State Medical University in Ukraine. Polish faculty included Prof. Hubert Wanyura, M.D., Ph.D, Head of the Faculty of the Cranio-Maxillo-Facial and Dental Surgery and Implantology of the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland, National Consultant for maxillofacial surgery, Prof. Paweł Stręk, M.D., Ph.D., from the Faculty and Clinic of Otolaryngology of the Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum in Cracow, Poland and Prof. Elżbieta A. Trafny, Ph.D, Head of the Department of Microbiology and Epidemiology at the Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland.

There were 71 participants, mostly from Poland, but there was also a large group of participants from Uzbekistan as well as doctors from Hungary, Libya, United Kingdom and Ukraine.

The course comprised the theoretical training and demonstrations of surgical techniques with hands-on laboratory training.

The theoretical course spanned two days and included lectures presenting a wide range of topics, from the fundamental anatomy of the paranasal sinuses, infections and other diseases, diagnostics including the application of the biomedical imaging, medical and surgical treatment and the perioperative care. Lectures were, as mentioned by many of the participants, well prepared and instructive, presenting also the analyses of the difficult cases and possible errors and complications. Such knowledge is particularly important for all surgeons, not exclusively for the beginners.

Practical training took the whole third day of the course. There were 20 participants for this part of the course, selected based on their experience and order of registration. All other course participants could observe all surgical demonstrations on monitors in the lecture room. The Education Center of the World Hearing Center is equipped with customized audiovisual system for surgical training, making it possible for the trainees to observe not only the overall view of the surgical table, allowing them to learn such details as the correct way of holding the instruments, but also the view from the endoscope and the surgical navigation. This technical novelty is used very often during different trainings organized in the Institute, also for the life demonstration surgeries’ transmissions form the operating theater, because it gives the trainees the unique, detailed view of the work of skilled and highly qualified surgeons.

Demonstrations of surgical techniques were performed by instructors, who also oversaw and guided the laboratory training with the help of the rhinosurgery team of the Institute. Participants of the practical part, having observed demonstrations of the required endoscopic techniques, performed individually the presented procedures under instructors’ supervision. Each participant had an opportunity to perform all procedures shown by the instructors.

Hands-on training on fresh frozen specimens, particularly in the field of the endoscopic surgery of the paranasal sinuses, is important and valuable for all surgeons, as it gives them the opportunity to observe the important anatomical features first-hand and to train the sequence and method of conducting all procedures. It is vital for least experienced surgeons who need to gain experience and self-assurance.

The Course has been organized by the World Hearing Center of the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, with the cooperation of the Institute of Sensory Organs, companies Medincus and Storz, producer of endoscopes and surgical navigation with the aid of its Polish representative, Medim. Organizational and financial support provided the exhibitors: ABE-IPS, Covidien, Elektro-Oxigen and Optident.