Dear ELS members,
We like to keep you informed of forthcoming laryngology-related events around world, so welcome to our latest “Save the Dates” message, which features dozens of forthcoming events. As always, we would like to thank all ELS members for their support and commitment to the organisation.
We have a number of very exciting events to tell you about, so read more below. In particular, the ELS is proud to be running a workshop in collaboration with the VoiceIstanbul meeting in April 2024. And we are building up our ELS Congress in Warsaw in May 2025.
Our next Monday Meeting will be on March 4th at 18:00 (CEST) when Chadwan Al Yaghchi will speak on Pharyngeal high resolution manometry. Our popular Monday meetings will continue through 2024: keep an eye out for them in our Event Calendar on the ELS website as usual. And don’t forget that all the previous Monday Meeting videos are available exclusively to members – see below for a list of previous topics.
Declan Costello
Communication and Media Coordinator ELS
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ELS WORKSHOP - 25th April 2024
in collaboration with VOICEISTANBUL 2024
25th-28th April 2024, Istanbul Turkey
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Since the beginning in 1996, ELS meetings were based on the congress every even years and a workshop every odd years. The main principle of the workshops was «one day, one topic ». I remember some very successful workshops like the one on laryngeal airway organized by the late György Lichtenberger organized in Budapest in 2003. The list of these workshops can be found on the
Then, for some reasons, mainly the covid years, these were workshops were discontinued. As we wanted to restart this event, we took the opportunity proposed by Prof. Dr. Kürşat Yelken to join the VoiceIstanbul meeting. The proposed topic is «Around the arytenoid cartilage». All the aspects will be treated by experts from physiology to cancer surgery , and of course dysmobility. The full program as well as all the necessary information is available on the congress website https://voiceistanbul2024.org/en/.
ELS abstracts not related to arytenoid are integrated in the program of there VoiceIstanbul meeting.
If you come to the event, please don´t hesitate and visit the ELS booth No. 12.
As Istanbul is the link between Europe an Asia, that will be a great opportunity to meet our Turkish colleagues and some of them from Middle East. And again, no need to say that Istanbul is a wonderful city to visit!
Best regards,
Prof Marc Remacle, ELS Senior advisor
ELS 2024 workshop co-organizer
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Dear ELS-member,
We would like to invite you to fill out this short international survey on clinical variation in treatment of idiopathic subglottic stenosis (iSGS). We are interested in what techniques are most commonly used internationally to treat iSGS. There might be clinical variation between countries and centers based on availability of equipment, organization of care and training.
We are also interested in your attitude towards other surgical techniques that you might not use or might not be acquainted with yet. All surgical techniques, including endoscopic, open and in-office treatment are taken into account in this questionnaire. All physicians that treat iSGS, including otolaryngologists, thoracic surgeons and interventional pulmonologists, are approached for participation.
Your participation would be greatly appreciated!
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Please follow this link, or use the QR-code to start the survey:
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Kind regards,
Emilie Dronkers (laryngologist, UK/Netherlands), Alexander Gelbard (laryngologist, USA), Ricky Thakrar (interventional pulmonologist, UK), Ad Verhagen (thoracic surgeon, Netherlands), Dale Ekbom (laryngologist, USA), Karla O'Dell (laryngologist, USA), Chadwan Al Yaghchi (laryngologist, UK)
Supported by the Laryngotracheal Stenosis Committee of the ELS
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The ELS "Monday meetings" take place every first Monday of the month from 18:00 to approx. 19:00 (CEST). These sessions cater to all levels of laryngologists from beginners to advanced practitioners. During the meeting, one of our experts and moderators will guide you through a topic in a practical manner - teaching you the basics and their own approach while answering all your questions in this area.
Don't miss our next meeting on March 4th at 18:00 (CEST) when Chadwan Al Yaghchi will speak on Pharyngeal high resolution manometry.
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The ELS Monday meeting recordings are available to our members only in Member zone.
All the already published Monday meeting recordings are listed HERE.
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NEW Spot diagnosis case - WIN A PRIZE!
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In every newsletter, we share a clinical case for practicing your spot diagnosis skills. Send your answer to europeanlaryngologicalsociety@gmail.com by 30th June 2024 and win a copy of the 2nd Edition Surgery of Larynx and Trachea by Marc Remacle and Hans Eckel! The prize will be awarded by a lottery between the competitors and the winner will be announced in the next ELS newsletter.
Spot diagnosis case 11
Scenario: This patient complains of decreased hearing, episodes of dyspenea when lying down, and dysphonia.
Question 1: What is your diagnosis?
Question 2: What type of analysis will confirm the diagnosis ?
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Spot diagnosis case 10 ANSWER
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Scenario: A 61 year old male, with a background of recurrent sialoadenitis is an ex-smoker, and presents to the emergency ENT clinic with increasing shortness of breath during exercise over the past weeks, soft stridor and dysphagia to solid food. There is no weight loss, no history of reflux, and no pain. A flexible nasendoscopy is performed and shows the following image of the larynx. Both vocal cords have limited mobility. Multiple biopsies are done, and show a mixture of fibrosis and active inflammation. Bloods are done as well. A PET-CT scan shows a PET avid mass in the supraglottis.
Q&A:
1) What is your most likely diagnosis and differential diagnosis?
Answer: The patient in this case has Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD). This is a chronic systemic immune-mediated condition characterised by a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate rich in IgG4-positive plasma cells. The condition was first described in 2003 in a cohort of Japanese patients with autoimmune pancreatitis, and has since been described in almost every organ, including the renal system. IgG4-RD now unites a variety of conditions previously thought to be unrelated. There is a male predominance (61%-80%) and most cases present between 50-70 years of age. Head and neck manifestations of IgG4-RD are common, mainly in salivary gland inflammation, but primary laryngeal involvement is extremely rare as only 17 cases of primary laryngeal IgG4-RD have been described in the literature. The condition may mimic a variety of malignant or inflammatory conditions, including vasculitis.
2) What blood tests would you order?
Answer: The gold standard for the diagnosis of IgG4-RD is histopathology from a tissue biopsy, but several clinical, biochemical and radiographical findings are used as well. Blood tests should include IgG4 serum concentration, ANA, ANCA and anti-rheumatoid factor. Elevated serum IgG4 concentration is no longer considered essential for the diagnosis, since normal serum IgG4 concentrations have been well-described even in the setting of active, biopsy-proven disease. A set of classification criteria has been made by the American College of Rheumatology and European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) to help clinicians diagnose.
3) What treatment would you propose?
Answer: Medical management for IgG4-RD starts with steroids, and early response to steroids has been shown to be of prognostic significance. The mean maintenance dose of prednisolone is 5 mg/day, and it is used in the majority of cases to good effect. In severe systemic cases, Rituximab can be added. In the literature, 90% of cases have reported to go into remission with appropriate medical therapy, with an annual relapse rate of 11%. Most patients should recover good laryngeal function with immunomodulatory medication, but following medical disease control, individualised reconstructive techniques are often required to establish a satisfactory stable airway. The patient in this case underwent laser supraglottoplasty and balloondilation to good effect, alongside high dose steroid treatment for 6 weeks. A tracheostomy could be avoided.
Spot diagnosis results:
We hereby announce that the competition has ended and the winner is Mariana Correia. 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 - will be sent to the winner.
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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.
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INTERVIEW with GREG POSTMA,
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University Center for Voice, Airway and Swallowing, Georgia, USA
by Natalie Watson
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What got you interested in laryngology?
During my training programme we didn’t have a lot of laryngology and I was fascinated by voice. I had 2 years of “pay-back” time in the Navy, as they had paid for my schooling, and so I owed them 2 years and that’s when I did a lot of reading and learning about laryngology and I went to every American Academy of Otolaryngology Instructional course. I decided to learn more and so I did a laryngology fellowship at Vanderbilt.
What aspect of laryngology is your favourite?
I like to say that we provide “full-service laryngology.“ There are 2 of us, myself and Chris Johnson at Georgia, and we both love voice, airway and swallowing disorders, but if I have to pick one, it would have to be swallowing disorders. That’s really been a passion for me for the past 10 years, part of the reason is that the research in dysphagia is way worse than any other speciality in otolaryngology, if you take otology, head and neck and paediatrics there’s a lot of great research, but if you look at dysphagia it’s really “c minus research” and that makes it easy to working and researching in this area because there is a lot of low hanging fruit out there ready to be picked. It’s like Zenker’s, most of the research are small series from single institutions and all these years everyone’s said that but only now in the last couple of years is there are prospective CP myotomy Zenker study being done! Why is that? There’s no definition about a CP bar – what’s normal and what isn’t. Prof Martin Birchall from the UK says, “dysphagia is far more complicated than voice or anything else”, and he’s right.
You have published so much in your career- is there a publication you are particularly proud of?
That’s an interesting question, however, a person asked me recently what was my biggest accomplishment, which is a similar question and really it is the people that I have trained. At the ELS conference in June 23, I was looking out in the conference room and I could see around 5-6 of the fellows that I had trained and that’s where you really see your accomplishments. It’s like a giant virus, you can only see a limited number of patients yourself, but the people you have trained go on to see more patients, they in turn train residents and they also are running fellowships so the virus perpetuates. My proudest moments are when I read what my former fellows are publishing, it’s like watching your own children do well. You individually could have good ideas but It’s so great to have great SLPs, good trainees and fellows around you to implement your ideas.
If you were to take 1 instrument/piece of equipment from laryngology to a desert island– what could you not do without?
The Dedo laryngoscope, it’s my workhorse for everything; for voice, airway and sometimes accessing the CP muscle. It’s good enough to get into a lot of difficult airways but big enough to work through and I’d say we use the dedo in 75% of voice patients, 80% of airway, a lot of the CP muscle surgery we do.
Final thoughts?
I think we are a fun group of people in laryngology, the ELS particularly, they emphasise not just the science but give you social opportunities and great receptions and dinners. Our entire specialty has become more collaborative with strong mentoring and I can’t imagine doing anything else.
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SAVE THE DATES / Future Laryngology Events
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For more information and regular updates on the ELS Congress, please visit the ELS 2025 congress website https://www.els2025.org/ and ELS social media.
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2nd INTERNATIONAL OPEN PARTIAL LARYNGECTOMY COURSE
29th February - 1st March 2024
Barcelona, Spain
Course
Programme: International_Open_Partial_Laryngectomy_course_2024.pdf
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CONSENSUS CONFERENCE ON LARYNX PRESERVATION 2024
12th April 2024
Milan, Italy
Conference
Endorsed by the ELS
10% discount for ELS members
Website: https://consensuslarynx.studioprogress.it/
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3rd London office TNO, Balloon dilatation and Blue Laser Laryngeal Course
15th April 2024
London, the UK
Course
Website: https://www.phonosurgerycourse.com/
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4th London Phonosurgery Course - Phonosurgery adn Neurolaryngology
Fresh Frozen Cadaver Dissection Course
16th - 17th April 2024
London, the UK
Course
Website: https://www.phonosurgerycourse.com/
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VOICEISTANBUL and ELS WORKSHOP
25th - 28th April 2024
Istanbul, Turkey
Conference
ELS is the invited society for VoiceIstanbul 2024
ELS workshop: : Around the Cartilage on 25th April
Website: https://voiceistanbul2024.org/en/
For scientific programme, click HERE.
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VOCAL FOLD MEDIALIZATION TECHNIQUES
6th May 2024
Strasbourg, France
Course
Website: https://www.ircad.fr/ent-surgery-course-vocal-fold-medialization-techniques/
Programme: Flyer_IRCAD_ENT_surgery_course
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95TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE GERMAN SOCIETY OF ORL-HNS 2024
8th - 11th May 2024
Messe Essen, Germany
Congress
With the participation of the ELS
Website: https://kongress-hno.de/en/
Registration link is HERE.
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INTERNATIONAL OFFICE-BASED ENDOSCOPIC SURGERY COURSE
21st - 23rd May 2024
Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Course
Website: https://entendoscopy.eu/
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EAP COURSE: Voice and Swallowing in Preparation of European Board Examination & 2nd UEP/BLA Joint Meeting
23rd - 25th May 2024
Zagreb, Croatia
Course & Meeting
Website: https://uep.phoniatrics.eu/eap-course-2nd-bla-uep-joint-meeting/
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BLUE LASERS IN LARYNGOLOGY
24th - 25th May 2024
Hamburg, Germany
Course
10% discount for ELS members
Website: https://mevoc.de/blue-lasers-in-laryngology/
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LARYNGEAL DISSECTION COURSE
24th May 2024
VIRTUAL
Course
Website: https://www.surgery.wisc.edu/university-of-wisconsin-laryngeal-dissection-course/
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HELSINKI LARYNGOLOGY COURSES
Laryngology & Phonosurgery: Comprehensive summer course
5th - 7th June 2024
Helsinki, Finland
Course
Early deadline 29.2.2024. Limited places.
To view the leaflet, click HERE.
Website: https://helsinkilaryngologycourses.com/
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CEORL-HNS 2024
15th - 19th June 2024
Dublin, Ireland
Congress
With the participation of the ELS
Website: https://ceorlhns2024.org/
Registration link is HERE.
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4th London CO2 and Blue Laser Laryngeal Airway Course
2nd - 3rd September 2024
London, the UK
Course
Website: https://www.phonosurgerycourse.com/
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PanEuropean Voice Conference (PEVoC 15)
4th - 7th September 2024
Santander, Spain
Conference
Website: https://www.pevoc2024.com/
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The 2024 Fall Voice Conference
24th - 26th October 2024
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Conference
Website: http://www.fallvoice.org/future_conferences.php
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BLUE LASERS IN PHONOSURGERY
25th - 26th October 2024
Hamburg, Germany
Course
10% discount for ELS members
Website: https://mevoc.de/blue-lasers-in-laryngology/
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SURGERY TECHNIQUES IN LARYNGOLOGY
22nd - 23rd November 2024
Hamburg, Germany
Course
10% discount for ELS members
Website: https://mevoc.de/surgery-techniques-in-laryngology-workshop/
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UEP 2025
4th - 7th June 2025
Prague, Czech Republic
Congress
Website: https://www.uep2025.com/
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In growing our ELS society, your contribution to the society is invaluable to us and we are most grateful for your contribution as it helps our society to develop further.
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MEMBERSHIP SYSTEM UPGRADE - gMem
Dear ELS members,
Kindly note that we will carry out an upgrade of the current membership system which will result in a more comfortable, easy to navigate and intutitive system for our members. The transition to the upgraded version of the membership system, the so called gMem, will happen at the end of February/beginning of March.
We will sent an announcement by email to all our members ahead of time, a user manual will be provided. The ELS members will receive the ELS Secretariat´s full support and assistance to make the transition as smooth as possible. We sincerely hope you will enjoy the benefits of the new membership system.
For any questions or assistance you may need, please contact the ELS Association Development Manager - Barbora McBurney at europeanlaryngologicalsociety@gmail.com.
The list of ELS membership fees is available HERE. The membership year commences in January and ends in December each year. Membership comes into effect upon receipt of the membership fee payment.
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TOP 10 REASONS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE ELS
1. COMMUNITY: Be a part of a unique international community
2. NETWORKING: Meet, learn from and collaborate with colleagues
3. GRANTS AND OBSERVERSHIPS: Apply for laryngology related grants and observerships
4. MEETINGS: Join the monthly Monday meeting
5. RESEARCH GROUPS: Establish or participate in one or more research groups
6. E-NEWSLETTER AND MAILINGS: Direct, interactive and customized communication channel
7. KNOWLEDGEBASE: Access to Members only zone with archived educational material and an online video library
8. AWARDS: Win the Lichtenberger Prize or Neurolaryngology Award
9. EAORL JOURNAL: Online subscription to the European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology
10. SAVINGS: Reduced registration fees at ELS congresses and courses
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It’s Time to Make the MOVE!
While the OR has been the main site for ENT procedures for many years, growing hospital backlogs have led to demand for treatment approaches that can help ease the burden.
Office-based ENT procedures are a viable alternative to conventional OR-based techniques as recommended by multiple professional standards agencies.1, 2
With Olympus as your partner with a broad portfolio of ENT solutions, suitable for outpatient settings, we can help you discover an alternative way to perform ENT procedures.
Explore how moving ENT procedures to outpatient settings supports you with:
- Better patient satisfaction
- Safe and high-quality care
- Better value
Hear Prof. Markus Hess share his knowledge and useful tips since he already made the move in the field of laryngology.
Explore more on www.olympus-europa.com/move
1. Advice Statement: Outpatient biopsy for diagnosis of suspicious lesions of the larynx pharynx and tongue base. Health Improvement Scotland. https://shtg.scot/our-advice/outpatient-biopsy-for-diagnosis-of-suspicious-lesions-of-the-larynx-pharynx-and-tongue-base/
2. JAG accreditation scheme JAG guidance: transnasal endoscopy. Royal College of Physicians. https://www.thejag.org.uk/CMS/UploadedDocuments/Scheme/Scheme5/Guidance/191011%20-%20guidance%20-%20transnasal%20endoscopy.pdf
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ELS PARTNERS INTRODUCTION
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The ELS deeply values cooperation and long-term partnership. Our corporate members have recently become ELS Partners as we have introduced a wider range of new ELS partnership opportunitites. Please read below more about our partners to which we are most thankful for their continued support. The partners are listed according to the level of their contribution and in alphabetical order. The ELS Parner information is also available in on the ELS website.
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KARL STORZ, a family-owned company founded in Tuttlingen (Germany) in 1945, is a globally recognized market leader and solution provider in endoscopy for hu-man and veterinary medicine. With its innovative endoscopes, instruments, units, services, and integrated solutions, KARL STORZ has stood for reliability, quality, and availability for over 75 years. Its portfolio of endoscopic instruments includes more than 15,000 products. In dialog with medical professionals, KARL STORZ shapes and defines medical progress. Innovation, precision, and creativity are the hallmarks of KARL STORZ’s work. The company combines stability with flexibility, anticipating the future while remaining grounded in tradition.
From its headquarters in Tuttlingen, KARL STORZ has grown from a two-person company into a global corporation that now employs 8,500 people at over 50 subsidiaries and is represented in more than 40 countries.
https://www.karlstorz.com/gb/en/
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MED-EL Medical Electronics, a leader in implantable hearing solutions, is driven by a mission to overcome hearing loss as a barrier to communication and quality of life. The company offers the widest range of implantable and non-implantable solutions to treat all types of hearing loss, enabling people in over 140 countries enjoy the gift of hearing with the help of a MED-EL device.
The Austrian-based, privately owned business was co-founded by industry pioneers Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair, whose ground-breaking research led to the development of the world’s first micro-electronic multi-channel cochlear implant (CI). Since then, their focus on patient-centered innovation has led to new award-winning products spanning cochlear and middle ear implant systems, a combined electric acoustic stimulation hearing implant system, auditory brainstem implants as well as surgical and non-surgical bone conduction devices.
This drive for innovation now extends beyond hearing implants. In 2023, MED-EL initiated clinical trials for the Laryngeal Pacemaker in Austria and Germany. The device aims to remobilize paralyzed vocal cords, alleviating respiratory distress without permanent surgery. These trials represent a significant milestone for MED-EL, showcasing collaborative innovation with clinical partners and dedication to advancing medical technology.
www.medel.com
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Olympus aims to continuously find better and more economical solutions to medical issues, which improve the wellbeing of patients, enhance the working environment for doctors and nursing staff and helps to improve the overall performance of healthcare providers. Working closely with healthcare professionals every day, Olympus matches its innovative capabilities in medical technology and precision manufacturing with their skills to provide the best possible outcomes for patients and society.
We understand the unique needs of ENT doctors, and that is why our advanced portfolio of ENT products is tailored to empower you in delivering exceptional patient care. From state-of-the-art laryngoscopes to cutting-edge imaging systems and data management solutions, our precision-engineered tools provide exceptional visualization and accuracy during diagnosis and treatment. Trust Olympus to elevate your ENT practice, enhance patient outcomes, and unlock new possibilities in laryngology. Experience the difference of working with industry-leading tools that are designed with your expertise in mind.
www.olympus-europa.com
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Soluvos Medical is a privately owned company founded in 2015. We have extensive knowledge and expertise within the ENT field. We specialize in distributing high quality products for airway management, operating room and office based treatment in the field of Ear, Nose, Throat and Laryngology.
Our focus is on innovative treatments performed under local anaesthesia to reduce pain and recovery time for the patient to improve quality of life.
Soluvos Medical collaborates with mostly long existing family-owned manufacturers with great reputation on quality and service. Our company has efficient logistics and excellent service for customers throughout Europe and the U.K.
We emphasise on quality, service and training to live up to our ever growing reputation. Our experience in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry can help you to connect with ENT physicians, industry and patients to establish the best product portfolio.
We offer among others; Renú Voice Injectable implant for VFI, the equivalent and replacement product of Radiesse Voice in Europe and the UK and are proud to introduce our ENT surgical A.R.C. Laser range in northern Europe, Italy and the U.K. (A.R.C. LASER GMBH)
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Founded in 1996, A.R.C. Laser GmbH is a family-owned company dedicated to the advancement of modern medicine through innovative laser technology for ENT and ophthalmology. Our unwavering focus is on creating high-quality lasers with inge-nuity, tailored to meet the diverse needs of healthcare practitioners.
In ENT, our extensive portfolio includes laser systems from diode, KTP & TruBlue to Co2 lasers, including the necessary accessories.
Our dedication to quality and performance has earned us a global clientele, making us a trusted partner for healthcare professionals worldwide. With A.R.C. Laser, you can rely on cutting-edge solutions for precise and gentle medical applications.
https://www.arclaser.com/
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We would like to sincerely thank to all our partners for their continued support of our society.
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