Report on the 10th International Course in Advanced Sinus
Surgery Techniques organized at the Academic Medical Center of
the University of Amsterdam, 7-8 March 2013
First of all, I would like to thank the European Rhinologic Society for this
fellowship and the great opportunity to take part at the 10th International Course in
Advanced Sinus Surgery Techniques in Amsterdam.
This course brought together doctors of different ages from all over the world and
we shared medical and surgical experiences.
The course director, Wytske Fokkens structered very well the presentations –in
the smallest details possible - and the practical part in this two days.
At this course were invited lectures doctors including a radiologist who spoke
about sinonasal imaging and what the surgeons needs to know, an ophthalmologist
presented dacryocystorhinostomie and surgery of the orbit and a team of
rhinologist/neurosurgeon spoke about the shifting borders of endoscopic skull base
surgery. Also invited was an anesthesiologist who talked about how to keep a surgical
field as dry as possible.
At the dissection part we had at our disposal image navigation systems, high
quality instruments and devices from Karl Storz and Medtronic and we practised all
the procedures on fresh frozen cadavers, and the supervisor’s feedback was very
specific and helpful.
Professor Fokkens and Professor Harvey, the teacher of honour, performed one
live surgery each and commented every step of the surgery, which we were able to
watch from the lecture hall and interact with them. We could also see the
postoperative status of the patients.
In these two days of course I gained more knowledge and I am certain that it will
help me in my ENT-surgery development career.
Irina Robu