Observerships

 

One of the main objectives of the ELS is to promote and foster the professional skills of members. Therefore we actively maintain a network of experienced clinicians who are enthusiastic about welcoming visitors and sharing their expertise. In these observerships, the aim is to get acquainted with a technique or an area of laryngology, watch the clinician in their work, pick up tips and tricks for your own practice, and to pose any questions you might have. During an observership, the guest will not actively perform procedures but rather join and observe the laryngologist in her or his practice.

The duration of the observership can vary with so-called “mini-observerships” consisting of just a couple of days to a week. Please see the list below for more details. If you are interested in a certain topic/centre please contact the ELS at europeanlaryngologicalsociety@gmail.com and we will provide you with an email contact for this centre who can then inform you of availability and logistic arrangements. Please observe that observerships are not financed by the institutions or the ELS and the applicants must be ELS members with their membership fee paid.

 

 Observership Centre Directors Duration

Office based procedures and phonosurgery

This observership focuses on office bases procedures such as biopsies, injections and laser procedures as well as phonosurgical procedures such as microlaryngoscopies and thyroplasty. Both the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects will be highlighted. The duration of the observership is subject to availability at the clinic (with a maximum of one week) and will be decided in consultation with them.
Medical Voice Center, Hamburg, Germany – Programme full for 2024 M Hess 1 to 5 days

Neurolaryngology / L-EMG

This observership focuses on an introduction to the methods of neurolaryngologic diagnosis and indications for augmentation, thyroplasty, and non-selective reinnervation in unilateral and laterofixation, laser surgical glottic enlargement, and laryngeal pacing in bilateral paresis. A main focus of our outpatient consultations is laryngeal EMG on awake patients with and without laryngeal sonography guidance.

1/2 hour distance between both centers.

ENT-Dept., SRH Wald-Klinikum Gera, Germany
ENT-Dept., University hospital Jena, Germany
AH Mueller (Gera)
O Guntinas-Lichius (Jena)
1 to 5 days

Office injections

This observership focuses on injection techniques used in the office setting. You will be able to observe several types of office injections such as medialisation injections for glottic gap, steroid injections for subglottic stenosis and Botox injections for AdSD. You are also welcome to join any of the other laryngolgocial activities in the office or in the OR during your time in Leiden. The duration of the observership is typically 3-5 working days.
Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands – Programme full for 2024 APM Langeveld
EV Sjogren
3 to 5 days

AdSD from Office to OR

This observership focuses on the neurological disorder Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia. You will be joining the laryngologist in the diagnosis, the office treatment (Botox injections) and surgical procedure of neuromyectomy of the these patients. Learn how to distinguish AdSD from other diagnoses such as tremor or non-organic voice disorders and take advantage of the lessons to be learned from the long-time experience of the Leiden clinic treating over 200 patients with this disease. The duration of the observership is typically 3-5 working days.
Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands – Programme full for 2024 APM Langeveld 3 to 5 days

All round laryngology

This is a broad observership where many aspects of laryngology can be highlighted such as general laryngology, transoral laser microsurgery, robotic surgery, framework surgery, airway stenosis surgery, phonosurgery, voice assessment and stroboscopy as well as swallowing assessment and FEES.
Hôpital Foch, Suresnes, France
S Hans
L Crevier-Buchman
1 to 2 weeks

Laryngeal reinnervation

This observership focuses on the process of laryngeal reinnervation in adults and children highlighting the neurologaryngology consultation and indications, the workup including awake laryngoscopy with EMG, and of course the surgical procedure itself.
CHU Rouen, Rouen, France JP Marie 2 weeks

TNO, balloon dilations and injections

This fellowship focuses on the techniques of transnasal esophagoscopy and the diagnostic and therapeutic potentials of this and associated interventions such as balloon dilatation and injections for e.g. cricopharyngeal bar.
University Hospitals Dorset, Poole, UK K Heathcote 2 weeks

Laryngeal, hypopharyngeal and tracheal cancer surgery and reconstruction

This observership is focused on the operative procedures of malignant laryngeal and pharyngeal tumors and tracheal reconstruction. Some of the procedures that you can experience are: total laryngectomies, hemilaryngectomy, frontolateral laryngectomy, cricohyoidoepiglottopexy, neck dissections, insertion of Provox voice prosthesis, transoral CO2 laser surgery, reconstruction of neck defects with microvascular flaps.
The University ORL Clinic Nis, Serbia
D Milisavljevic 1 to 2 months

Laryngeal, hypopharyngeal cancer and tracheal surgery

This observership focuses both on laryngeal/hypopharyngeal cancer surgery and tracheal surgery. You will be able to observe the entire treatment spectrum of these entities from TLM to OPHL /TL for cancer and TRA/CTRA/endoscopic procedures for tracheal surgery. Indications and workup for patients with these diseases will also be illustrated.
Universitá degli Studi di Brescia
Spedali Civili Brescia
C Piazza 2 months