Copy
View this email in your browser
A p r i l   2 0 2 2
Dear members, colleagues and friends,
 
Welcome to the most recent ELS newsletter, which brings you up to date with ELS events, meetings and prizes, and also with conferences and courses around the world. Since our last newsletter, the world has been horrified at the events unfolding in Ukraine, and we echo the sentiments of the CEORL HNS – see below for a link to their statement. The field of voice rehabilitation after laryngectomy is complex and extremely important – Carlos Chiesa speaks to Miguel Mayo (Spain) about his research in this area – see below. As always, we have our regular chance to win a prize in the Spot Diagnosis section. Scroll down for more information. And of course, our regular Monday Meeting slot (being held on 2nd May) is always very popular.
 
Declan Costello
Communication and Media Coordinator ELS
GENERAL ASSEMBLY ONLINE
May 12, 2022

You are cordially invited to the ELS General Assembly which will take place online on the 12th May 2022 at 6 PM (CEST).

Main Topics:

  • Approval of finances for the year 2021
  • Ratification of the updated ELS Statutes and the Internal rules
  • Ratification and approval of Presidential Council composition

An electronic mail invitation with the agenda, relevant documents and a link for the General Assembly will be sent out to the ELS members in due course.

14th CONGRESS OF THE EUROPEAN LARYNGOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Dear Friends and Colleagues,


I would like to cordially invite you to attend the 14th Congress of the European Laryngological Society, which is being held on June 21–23, 2023 in one of the largest conference facilities in Europe and worldwide, the Milan Convention Centre (MiCo), Milan, Italy.
This meeting will represent an important event providing a vast platform for a scientific lively exchange and discussion between research and health professionals working in the laryngology field. With a special focus on Laryngeal Cancer and New Technologies, the meeting will also gather experts in Phono­surgery, Neurolayngology, Airway, Pediatrics, Phoniatrics, and Basic Sciences.

The Scientific Committee is preparing an exciting programme including Keynote Lectures, Round Tables, Symposia, Instructional Courses, Free Paper, Poster, and Video Sessions offering a wide range of opportunities to enhance and enrich the professional experience.

The Programme is going to be designed to attract a wide audience of experts from all over the world, marking a joyful renaissance of our congressional activity after a long, forced pause.
For more information click HERE.

Let’s meet in Milan. Your presence is a key part of the meeting’s success and I look forward to seeing all of you at the next ELS Congress!

All the best

Professor Cesare Piazza
ELS 2023 Congress President

MONDAY MEETINGS


Dear Members,
 
The special ELS educational programme - the so-called "Monday meetings" - take place every first Monday of the month from 18:00 to 19:00 (CEST) and are aimed at residents and fellows - although, of course, everyone is welcome! These sessions cater to all levels of laryngologists from beginners to advanced practitioners. During the webinar, one of our experts and moderators will guide you through a topic in a practical and interactive manner - teaching you the basics and their own approach while answering all your questions in this area.

Last Monday Meeting on 4th April was held by Ahmed Geneid with the topic of Office based laryngology: examples and tricks, and moderated by Declan Costello. You can watch the recording in the Monday meeting section of the Member zone on the ELS website.
 
Don't miss our next meeting, which will take place on 2nd May at 6:00 pm CEST - Sandu Kishore will be talking about the Post intubation laryngotracheal lesions. Click on the picture below to view the Zoom link. The link can also be found on the ELS webpage or if you want - send us an email (mcburney@associationhouse.cz) and we will send you the link directly. 
Previous Monday meetings included the following webinars and you can find the recordings in the Member zone on the ELS website :

Ahmed Geneid - Office based laryngology: examples and tricks
Markus Hess - Glottoplasty in male-to-female transgender patients
Jerome Lechien - Laryngopharyngeal reflux Disease
Ricard Simo - Management of advanced laryngeal cancer
Ricard Simo - Management early laryngeal cancer
Frederik Dikkers - Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis - Introduction
Cesare Piazza - Cricotracheal resection for thyroid cancer
Małgorzata Wierzbicka and Joanna Jackowska - Iatrogenic laryngotracheal stenosis
Marc Remacle - Exudative lesions of the Reinke's space

 

Spot diagnosis  - Win a prize!

In every newsletter, we share a clinical case for practicing your spot diagnosis skills. Send your answer to europeanlaryngologicalsociety@gmail.com and win a copy of the soon-to-be-published 2nd Edition Surgery of Larynx and Trachea by Marc Remacle and Hans Eckel! 
 
Spot diagnosis case 5
This hockey player was struck by a ball in the neck. What is the injury?
Supplementary questions: What is the immediate management? What is the definitive management?
 

WINNER - Spot diagnosis case 4

The fourth round of the competition took place in the previous Newsletter.
 
Spot diagnosis case 4
What is the diagnosis?  What is the most common cause?  Would it be possible to restore normal vocal function in this situation?


The correct answer to the spot diagnosis case 4: anterior glottic web. Usually due to surgery performed at the anterior commissure. It is rarely possible to restore a normal voice.
We hereby announce that the competition has ended and the winner - the candidate who gave all the correct answers was - António Nicolau Fernandes. Congratulations!

The winner will be soon contacted by the ELS secretariat.  The prize - the revised edition of Surgery of Larynx and Trachea by Marc Remacle and Hans Eckel - is still in press but will be sent to all winners as soon as it is available.

We welcome you to submit your cases for the spot diagnosis column*. If your case is chosen you will also win a copy of the book!
* Please make sure to follow rules and regulations regarding the submission of patient material in your own country.
Interview : Carlos Chiesa speaks to Miguel Mayo
University Hospital Complex of A Coruña, Spain 
1. Why did you decide to research voice prosthesis rehabilitation after total laryngectomy?

Laryngeal carcinoma accounts for about 180,000 new cases per year worldwide, with 99,000 deaths per year. Today, thanks to early diagnosis and improvements in treatment, an organ preservation protocol can be adopted in the first instance in many cases. Nevertheless, total laryngectomy can be considered as a primary treatment in advanced locoregional cases or as salvage in case of persistence or local recurrence.

Despite ensuring good oncological results, total laryngectomy is associated with important physical and psychological sequelae, affecting basic vital functions such as breathing, swallowing and oral communication. A permanent tracheotomy and loss of the natural voice worsen the quality of life of patients, with the resulting social stigma and psychological distress.

As long as we do not have other therapeutic weapons for these cases, our goal should be to diminish and mitigate the inevitable sequelae of treatment. For this reason, I believe it is essential to continue researching in this field in order to improve the quality of life of our patients.

2. Please, let us know why you consider voice prosthesis rehabilitation after total laryngectomy relevant?

In an increasingly connected social world, the voice is fundamental. It is our letter of introduction, our working tool, our vehicle for socialization. The impression we give with our voice has a radical influence on the perception that other people have of us and also on the perception that each of us has of ourselves.

The loss of voice can cause social, psychological and economic disadvantages to the patients. Studies have reported that 30% of patients undergoing total laryngectomy were ashamed of their condition, more than 40% stated that they were rather depressed, and 30% were feeling lonely. For these reasons, the impossibility of obtaining a quick voice restoration often brings permanent invalidity and social isolation.

Rehabilitation with primary puncture and voice prosthesis has been performed in our department since the 1990s, obtaining success rates of more than 90% and with better results than with oesophageal voice or electrolarynx in terms of vocal quality, quality of life and rapid recovery of phonatory capacity.

3. What do you think are those crucial steps during voice prothesis surgical placement?

We are surgeons, but curiously enough, the fundamental step to success in voice rehabilitation has nothing to do with the surgical act. Tracheoesophageal puncture is a simple, rapid, safe and easily reproducible technique. In fact, voice prosthesis companies distribute their own kits for its performance. 

The pre-surgical assessment is crucial when deciding in favor of tracheoesophageal voice rehabilitation. We must evaluate the general and cognitive state of the patient, his pulmonary situation, his communicative needs, the proximity to the hospital and ease of access and his motor capacity, among other variables. For this reason, our working group has always advocated the creation of multidisciplinary teams incorporating speech therapy and nursing in patient care.

4. You have monumental research about voice prosthesis. Let us know what do you consider the main complications?

Thank you very much, but we are just one more group trying to improve the lives of our patients. In Europe, we should feel proud, because we are a reference. There are great teams from different countries with long trajectories that investigate rehabilitation with tracheoesophageal voice, obtaining great results and improvements.

The placement of a voice prosthesis is associated with a low rate of complications. Severe
complications are extremely rare. However, tracheoesophageal fistula enlargement and periprosthetic leakage is a serious problem and occurs approximately in 10-13% of patients. The reflux disease, the radio-chemotherapy, an advanced N-stage, a postoperative stricture or a locoregional recurrence or metastatic cancer after laryngectomy are some of the main agents that can considerably elevate the risk of fistula leakage.

This complication represents a significant challenge for patients and clinicians to manage. There are a number of conservative treatment methods that have been proposed in order to eliminate the leakage while maintaining functional tracheoesophageal voice. However, an effective long-term solution has not yet been reported. We should screen for possible reflux and prescribe preventive medications. On the other hand, we believe that adjuvant radiotherapy is not a contraindication for the primary placement of a voice prosthesis. We recommend personalized management of each patient, protocolized and with an experienced multidisciplinary team.

5. Please, share with the readers those relevant key points to take into account during the patient's follow-up?

Our standard follow-up protocol consists of a clinical examination every 4-6 weeks in the first year, every 2-3 months in the second and third, and every 3-6 months in the fourth and fifth year. The patient with a voice prosthesis has the particularity that we must also control the device he/she is wearing. Implementing a speech therapy consultation in our routine practice is essential for the patient to feel safe with the voice prosthesis and with the professional support they require. We must instruct the patient in the care and cleaning of the stoma, the skin, the use of the HME, cannulas, and maintenance of the prosthesis. Likewise, we must explain to them the possible failures that the device may suffer, so that in the event of an eventuality they know how to act and where to go. A patient instructed in these aspects is a more independent patient.

In the event of any complication or eventuality, it is necessary to perform an individualized assessment. There are several management protocols in the literature. Depending on the problem, a possible solution should be considered, always trying to proceed in a stepwise manner, starting with the most conservative options and considering more aggressive measures depending on the patient's condition.

6. Any final comment?

Thank you very much for the invitation. The field of tracheoesophageal rehabilitation is continuously evolving, with new evidence being published every year and new devices appearing. I would like to encourage all our colleagues with a research interest in improving the quality of life of laryngectomized patients to evaluate their results. Knowing if and how the procedures we perform work helps to evolve and improve, offering solutions or correcting errors that would otherwise go unnoticed. 

The evolution of laryngectomized patients is heterogeneous and highly changeable over time. The management of laryngectomized patients and users of voice prosthesis is complex and requires a multidisciplinary and systematic approach by professionals with experience in the field in order to reduce replacements and complications. Further investigation is needed to identify individual risk factors and multivariable interactions to achieve better outcomes. I would like those of us interested in collaborating and participating in multicenter studies to join together to clarify the doubts that remain to be resolved.
Ukraine war – a statement from CEORL-HNS
The European Laryngological society is appalled by the invasion of Ukraine. We strongly condemn this action. We stand with all those protesting against this war and we support the statement from the Confederation of European Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.
H E R E
MEMBERSHIP OF THE ELS - 2022

In growing our ELS society, your contribution to the society is invaluable to us and we hope you will continue being a part of the ELS. Therefore, we would like to kindly remind you to ensure that your ELS membership is up to date. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. 

Just to remind you, your membership gives you:
  • Reduced registration fees at ELS congresses and other educational events
  • Education and training possibilities (observerships, Monday Meetings)
  • Access to the Monday meeting recordings in the Member zone
  • An online subscription to the European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology (12 issues per year)
  • Optional hard copy subscription to the journal
  • Professional information
  • Updated website and the chance to publish information about local scientific organisations
  • The opportunity to participate in one or more Committees and Research Groups
If you have note done so yet, we would like to kindly remind you to activate your profiles in the membership system Claudin and pay the membership fees for 2022.

Please kindly note that towards the end of April, reminders will be sent out to our members who have not paid their membership for 2022 and also to those who have not paid it in 2021 and 2022 (in which case they will receive an invoice for 2 years - 2021 and 2022).

Here: membership.com you can renew and pay for your membership. In case you do not remember your login details or have any problems with your fee or payment, please contact the ELS Association Development Manager - Barbora McBurney - by email mcburney@associationhouse.cz,  or check a User guide - Claudin.

The list of membership fees is available on our websites.
SAVE THE DATES / Future Laryngology Events 
LARYNGOLOGY WEBINAR SERIES

Every 3rd Saturday each month
Online Webinar Series
For more information and registration click: Laryngology-Back-to-the-basics-Brochure




 INTERNATIONAL WORSKHOP ON UNILATERAL & BILATERAL LARYNX REINNERVATION
30th-31st May 2022
Rouen, France
Workshop
For more information click HERE



ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM OF THE VOICE FOUNDATION

51st Anniversary Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice
1st - 5th June 2022
Philadelphia, USA
Meeting
Website: https://voicefoundation.org/



ILO CONFERENCE 2022

15th - 17th June 2022
Bergen, Norway
Conference
Website: https://www.iloconference.com/


 

PEVoC14 CONFERENCE 

24th - 27th August 2022
Talinn, Estonia
Conference
Website: https://www.pevoc2022.ee/
More information HERE




CUTTING EDGE LARYNGOLOGY 2022

21st - 23rd September 2022
London, UK
Conference
Website: https://www.britishlaryngological.org/event/


 

ORLIAC 2022

25th - 28th September 2022
Rome, Italy
Conference
Website: https://www.mcascientificevents.eu/orliac/




THE FALL VOICE CONFERENCE 2022

6th - 8th October 2022
San Francisco, USA
Conference
Website: http://www.fallvoice.org/

 

16th MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PHONOSURGERY

13th - 14th October 2022
Kyoto, Japan
Congress
Website: www.c-linkage.co.jp/iap2021






6th CONGRESS OF CEORL HNS 
29th October - 2nd November 2022
Milan, Italy
Congress
10% discount for ELS members
Website: https://www.ceorlhns2022.org/


8th SURGICAL HANDS-ON DISSECTION COURSE IN LARYNGEAL CANCERS

21st - 23rd November 2022
Verona, Italy
Hands-On Course
Website: https://iclo.eu/courses/8th-surgical-hands-on-dissection-course



 
SURGERY TECHNIQUES IN LARYNGOLOGY

25th - 26th November 2022
Hamburg, Germany
Hands-On Workshop
10% discount for ELS members
Website: mevoc.de/surgery-techniques-in-laryngology-workshop/




IFOS 2023 - WORLD CONGRESS OF OTOLARYNGOLOGY

16th - 21st January 2023
Dubai, United Arab Emirate
Congress
Website: http://www.ifosworld.org/

 

Sponsors

We would like to sincerely thank to all our sponsors.
 
Website
Copyright © 2022 European Laryngological Society (ELS), All rights reserved.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp