SEES Endoscopic & Microscopic Ear Surgery Dissection Course RPAH 2025

March 26th and 27th 2025

Welcome Message

We are pleased to announce a hands-on dissection otology course preceding the upcoming 75th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.

This special event will incorporate both microscopic dissection techniques with endoscopic access, incorporating all aspects of ear surgery. Close attention will be paid to the anatomy of the middle ear and the benefits of endoscopic view but the traditional microscopic approaches to the mastoid, cochlear implantation and lateral skull base will also be a key part of this two-day course.

Key features of this advanced course:

Endoscopic Ear Surgery

Microscopic mastoidectomy

Cochlear implantation

Eustachian tube balloon dilatation

Lateral skull base approaches

A fundamental principle of the International Working Group of Endoscopic Ear Surgery (IWGEES) is that the endoscope is just one tool in the otologist’s armamentarium. This course highlights how the endoscope and microscope can be used in conjunction, interchanged during procedures to achieve better outcomes for your patients.

Course participants will have the benefit of a full head fresh frozen cadaver specimen, which enables not only realistic conditions for the endoscopic approach, but also facilitates open procedures including meatoplasty and the post auricular approach for mastoidectomy and lateral skull base. Towards the end of the course the full head specimen permits excellent visualization of the posterior fossa and thus gives an excellent 360-degree perspective of the entire temporal bone within its anatomical landscape that can be hard to conceptualize in a singular bone specimen.

Course Directors

Professor Alex Saxby

Clinical Associate Professor Alex Saxby

Professor Jonathan Kong

Clinical Associate Professor Jonathan Kong

Invited International Faculty

Prof. Brian Westerberg (Vancouver, Canada)

Prof. Manohar Bance (Cambridge, UK)

Local Faculty

Professor Nicholas Jufas

Clinical Associate Professor Nicholas Jufas

Professor Nirmal Patel

Clinical Professor Nirmal Patel

Clinical Associate Dr. David Pohl

Clinical Associate Professor Catherine Birman

Clinical Associate Dr. Nathan Creber

Programme

Day 1 Wednesday 26th March 2025

LECTURE ROOM 7:30 – 8:00 Coffee/Registration
8:00 – 8:30 WELCOME
Welcome and Introductions 10mins
IWGEES Approach to Otology: “Endoscope and microscope in partnership” 15mins
8:30 – 8:45 LECTURE: Endoscopic Anatomy Lecture 15mins
Walk to lab/cross over 15mins
DISSECTION LAB 9:00 – 9:15 ENDOSCOPIC DEMONSTRATION 15mins
Holding the scope, raising a TM flap
Anatomy of the middle ear
9:15 – 11:45 DISSECTION Session ONE 2hr 30mins
STEP 1: Ear preparation, TM Flap & Prussak’s space
STEP 2: Protympanum, Eustachian Tube, Tensor Fold
STEP 3: Epitympanum and Lateral Attic
STEP 4: Retrotympanum & Hypotympanum
Morning tea will be served ar the cross over (10:15)
LECTURE ROOM 12:00 – 12:30 Pre-lunch LECTURES
LECTURE: Advantages of Endoscope in cholesteatoma surgery 10mins
PANAL: Tips and pearls for endoscopic ear surgery: 20mins Whole faculty
 Endoscopic instruments, Equipement, Control of bleeding, First Steps, Mistakes
 LUNCH
12:30 – 3:15 Luch LECTURES
Cochlear implant Industry Updates (10min per company) 30mins
LECTURE: Mastoid Anatomy 10mins
Walk to lab/cross over 15mins
DISSECTION LAB 13:30 – 13:45 MICROSCOPIC DEMONSTRATION Brian Westerberg
Mastoidectomy & Facial Recess 15mins
Cochlear implantation
13:45 – 16:15 DISSECTION Session TWO 2hr 30mins
Microscopic Cortical mastoidectomy
Microscopic Facial Recess approach
Microscopic Cochlear implantation
Endoscopic Atticomomy, incus removal
Endoscopic OCR (PORP)
Compare view from endoscope and microscope
Art Gallery NSW 17:30 – 18:15 ART after HOURS tour
Wollomoloo 18:30 Late Course dinner with plenary lecture Brian Westerberg
“Surgery and Elite Sport: parralels and lessons learnt”

Day 2 Thursday 27th March 2025

LECTURE ROOM 7:30 – 8:00 Coffee
8:00 – 8:30 Morning lectures
PANAL: Atticotomy vs mastoidectomy
LECTURE: Canal wall down mastoidectomy: Indications & technique Whole Faculty
LECTURE: Balloon tuboplasty and Patulous ET
DISSECTION LAB 8:45 – 9:00 BALLOON DILATATION DEMONSTRATION 3 15MINS
Balloon dilatation of Eustachian Tube
9:00 – 9:30 DISSECTION Session THREE 30mins
Balloon dilatation of the ET
9:30 – 9:45 CWD DEMONSTRATION 4 15mins
CWD Mastoidectomy & Meatoplasty
9:45 – 12:15 DISSECTION Session FOUR 2hr 30mins
CWD Mastoidectomy & Meatoplasty
Superior semicircular canal plugging
Endolymphatic sac identification
Labyrinthectomy
LECTURE ROOM 12:30 – 13:30 LUNCH
Lunch LECTURES 1hr
PANAL: Advantages and disadvantages of the Endoscope and the microscope 15mins Whole Faculty
PANAL: Stapedotomy (Tips and Pearls) 15mins Whole Faculty
LECTURE: The future of otology; Exoscopes, robots and more! 15mins
LECTURE: Lateral Skull Base Surgery: The three main approaches 15mins
DISSECTION LAB 13:30 – 14:00 INNER EAR ANATOMY DEMONSTRATION 5 15mins
Transpromontory IAC approach
Retrosigmoid approach showing brainstem anatomy
14:00 – 17:00 DISSECTION Session FOUR 3hrs
Inner ear anatomy dissection (Transpromontory IAC approach)
Then various options:
*Complete any unfinished tasks
*Translabyrinthine approach
*Retrosigmoid approach
*Middle Fossa Approach
*VII transposition/Fisch A Approach
*Fisch B or C Approach
Art Gallery NSW 17:30 – 18:15 ART after HOURS tour
Wollomoloo 18:30 Late Course dinner with plenary lecture Brian Westerberg
“Surgery and Elite Sport: parralels and lessons learnt”
  • Understand and practice the fundamentals of endoscopic and microscopic approaches.
  • Technical tips and pearls from world experts.
  • Panel discussions on key management decisions.
  • Demonstrations of all key steps (Endoscopic, mastoidectomy, Eustachian tube dilatation).
  • Lectures on key anatomy and techniques.
  • Allow participants to tailor their dissections to best suit their learning objectives on the second day, depending on their level of expertise (e.g. Concentrate on middle ear and mastoid or if more advanced, use the specimen to explore more complex approaches).

Wednesday 26th March 2025 – Thursday 27th March 2025
(ASOHNS ASM begins the following day (Friday 28th March 2025)

Glen Croxson Otology and Temporal Bone Laboratory, Level 9, Main hospital
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, Sydney, Australia

  • Dissector 18 positions – Early bird until Dec 31st – $3150
  • Observer 5 positions – $1000