submitted Oct 01, 2008.

"Training & Research for Europe - from basic to advanced"

This is the motto of the "1st Meeting of the European Academy of ORL-HNS in collaboration with EUFOS", June 27 - 30, 2009, Mannheim, Germany. With its emphasis on Instructional Courses and Round Tables, it will offer a wide range of scientific as well as practical education to doctors-in-training and young scientists from all over the world.

To download of the 2nd announcement and call for abstracts, please click here (download 2nd ann.)

To find all information about the congress, submit an abstract or register for the congress, please visit www.eaorl-hns2009.com

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The deadlines for

• Early Bird Registration
• Abstract Submission
• Travel Grants Application

have been extended until Saturday, January 10, 2009

submitted Sept 15, 2008.

The European Academy of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery (EAORL-HNS) and its affiliated members

In the past three issues of this journal, seven of the Academy's fifteen affiliated member societies were profiled; these were EAACI, EAFPS, EASM, EAONO, EGFL, ERS and PWG.

In this issue, EHNS and UEP are presented.

The affiliated member societies are:

• EAACI - European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology ENT-Section
• EAFPS - European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery
• EASM - European Academy of Sleep Medicine
• EAONO - European Academy of Otology & Neurootology EFAS - European Federation of Audiological Societies
• EGDG - European Study Group for Globus and Dysphagia
• EGFL - European Study Group of Functional Surgery following Laryngectomy
• EHNS - European Head & Neck Society
• ELS - European Laryngological Society
• ERS - European Rhinologic Society
• ESBS - European Skull Base Society
• ESGS - European Salivary Gland Society
• ESPO - European Society of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
• PWG: Permanent Working Group of European Junior Doctors
• UEP - Union of European Phoniatricians

European Head & Neck Society
A True Multidisciplinary Platform for Head and Neck Oncology

Officially founded in 2006, the EHNS is registered in Belgium as an international non-profit association under Belgian law. The EHNS is composed of individual persons, national and multi-national societies, and associated study groups oriented towards head and neck cancer research, training and treatment throughout Europe. Individuals from elsewhere in the world are also welcome to apply for membership.

This is the final result of a road towards a true European multidisciplinary platform on head and neck tumours. It mirrors North American and other organisations and is endorsed by the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies (IFHNOS).

The intent of the EHNS is to promote exchange of knowl­edge in all aspects of head and neck neoplastic diseases and to promote the highest standards of research, education and training, disease prevention and patient care. It is a multi-disciplinary body bringing together clinicians, basic sci­entists and patients' organisations involved in any aspect of Head and Neck Oncology.

EHNS regularly organizes conferences: in November 2001, the 1st European Conference on Head and Neck Cancer took place in the French city of Lille. Four main topics in the field of Head and Neck Oncology were selected and discussed from a European perspective: epidemiology, oropharyngeal carcinoma, novel diagnostic methods and therapies, and quality-of-life issues. The content, attendance (from 19 different European countries) and facilities were all regarded as highly successful.

Two years later, the equally successful 2nd European Conference on Head and Neck Cancer was hosted, again in Lille, with the subtitle 'towards a European Head and Neck Cancer Society'. During the general assembly it was unanimously voted that an EHNS should be organized and a founding board was elected. The regulatory process started until the official registration of EHNS in 2006.

In 2007 EHNS jointly with ESTRO organized a meeting in Barcelona on Innovative Approaches in Head and Neck Cancer. A similar meeting will be held again in Barcelona in 2009 as a joint venture between EHNS, ESTRO and ESMO.

From May 8 - 10, 2008, the 3rd European Conference on Head and Neck Oncology took place in Zagreb, Croatia. More than 400 participants attended this conference starting with live surgery on minimally invasive head and neck surgery, and 4 sessions on cutaneous malignancies, salivary glands diseases, treatment complications and management of persistent diseases. Additionally there were free papers sessions on reconstructive surgery, oral/oropharyngeal cancer, larynx/hypopharynx cancer, thyroid tumours and chemoradiotherapy.

The 4th European Conference on Head and Neck Cancer is planned in Athens in March 2010.
To learn more about the EHNS, please visit www.ehns.org.

Union of European Phoniatricians
The UEP was founded in Belgrade in October 1971, on the initiative of Peter Biesalski (Germany), Dusan Cvejic (Yugoslavia), Gerhard Kittel (Germany) and Oscar Schindler (Italy).

According to the first bylaws fixed in 1977, the purposes of the Union are to promote the specialty of phoniatrics and the professional conditions of phoniatricians, strengthening scientific relations between its members and putting them into practice for the benefit of medical care by medical doctors working in the public health sector as well as in private practice, thereby improving life and work conditions for its members.
Another issue is the consolidation of solidarity among these medical doctors, and the study of professional, social and ethic problems and search for their solutions, in the interest of the phoniatricians and their patients.

To achieve these goals, the Union uses all means of information and investigation, publishing reports and periodicals/brochures.
The UEP has had a strong impact on the development of the specialty as well as for the training in phoniatrics not only within Europe, but – due to a fruitful cooperation with the International Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (IFOS) – also on a worldwide scope.

UEP recently participated in the hugely successful EUFOS Congress, which took place from June 30 to July 4, 2007 in Vienna. It will also be involved in the scientific programme of the First Meeting of the EAORL-HNS, due to take place from June 27 - 30 in Mannheim, Germany.
UEP's current President is Prof. Andrzej Obrebowski (Poznan/Poland).

This article was published in European Archives, volume 265, number 8, August 2008. For more information, please go to www.springerlink.com.

submitted Sept 15, 2008.

The European Academy of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery (EAORL-HNS) and its affiliated members

In the past three issues of this journal, seven of the Academy's fifteen affiliated member societies were profiled; these were EAACI, EAFPS, EASM, EAONO, EGFL, EHNS, ERS, PWG and UEP.

In this issue, ELS and ESPO are presented.

The affiliated member societies are:

• EAACI - European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology ENT-Section
• EAFPS - European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery
• EASM - European Academy of Sleep Medicine
• EAONO - European Academy of Otology & Neurootology EFAS - European Federation of Audiological Societies
• EGDG - European Study Group for Globus and Dysphagia
• EGFL - European Study Group of Functional Surgery following Laryngectomy
• EHNS - European Head & Neck Society
• ELS - European Laryngological Society
• ERS - European Rhinologic Society
• ESBS - European Skull Base Society
• ESGS - European Salivary Gland Society
• ESPO - European Society of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
• PWG: Permanent Working Group of European Junior Doctors
• UEP - Union of European Phoniatricians

ELS - European Laryngological Society

The European Laryngological Society was officially founded in January 1995 in Brussels, on the initiative of Profs. Oskar Kleinsasser (Germany) – who was also the society's first president –, Italo Serafini (Italy) , Bernard Luboinski (France) and  Jan Olofsson (Norway).
The concept was to convene the European otorhinolaryngologists taking a particular interest in the overall field of laryngology and to provide them with a venue for expressing and promoting their work outside the considerations of national representation, which is sometimes too restrictive.
During the course of their career, many leading laryngologists noticed considerable difficulties in spreading their work on a European level due to the lack of a structured society, of planned meetings, and of a publication organ for rigorous work. The stronger personalities, of course, managed to cross national borders and to achieve international acknowledgement, but it was not uncommon that their ideas were only recognized in Europe much later.
Laryngology in Europe had so far only been represented in national and regional oto-rhino-laryngologic societies. Consequently, laryngologic topics were mainly covered and discussed in a rather scattered and often marginal manner at various conventions; but in Europe, the cradle of laryngology and the source of the newest ideas and developments, laryngology - one of the main pillars of our specialty - should be better represented.

A non-political and non-profit society, it is devoted to the knowledge and developments in all fields of Laryngology. It aims to  unite European otorhinolaryngologists

• to further the scientific development in the field of laryngology;
• to widen the knowledge and to assess the practical implementation of technical and scientific developments in this field;
• to encourage the development of the discipline in regard to prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of any diseases of the larynx;
• to promote and foster the professional skills of members;
• to encourage continuing education of laryngologists through the organization of conventions, meetings, courses and workshops.

From May 29 - 31, 2008, President Miquel Quer welcomed participants to Barcelona, Spain, for the 7th Congress of the European Laryngological Society. The official main topics were Anatomy and Physiology of the larynx, Professional voice problems and Total laryngectomy.
This Congress gathered more than four hundred specialists from all over the world, most of
which were from Europe, but some also from America, Asia and Africa.
A total of 200 free papers was presented at this Congress.

On Friday May 30th, the General Assembly of the ELS took place, in which the new President
took over and the proposed Secretary General and Treasurer were confirmed. Prof. Hans Eckel is now the President of the ELS, Prof. Frederik Dikkers the Secretary General and Prof. Christian Sittel the Treasurer. Prof. Marc Remacle has been designated Honorary President, for his contribution to the ELS.

Also announced was the change of administrative secretariat:  Dr. María de la Mota will now assume this task for the ELS under the auspices of the Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology.
To find out more about ELS, please visit www.elsoc.org.

ESPO - European Society of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology

The European Society of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology (ESPO) was founded in 1994, succeeding the European Working Group in Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology (EWGPO).

A non-profit organisation, it aims to promote the quality of care of children with otorhinolaryngologic disorders within Europe and is exclusively involved in scientific, educational and charitable activities.

Its objectives are to

• facilitate the dissemination of knowledge of otorhinolaryngologic disorders in children
• advocate the cooperation between ESPO members in various countries
• support clinical and basic research
• promote documentation of difficult cases
• enhance scientific communication by organizing congresses and conferences
• promote training programmes for otorhinolaryngologists with a specific interest in pediatric ORL diseases
• redefine standards of professional practice
• establish links with other organizations concerned with the care for children with ORL disorders

ESPO organises two-yearly International Congresses and Conferences across Europe: each meeting pays attention to all those aspects of pediatric otorhinolaryngology that are quite different from adult pathology, and are often so disturbing for children.

Most recently, the 8th International Conference of the European Society of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology took place from June 8 - 11, 2008 in Budapest, Hungary
Twenty five round tables, 8 guest lectures and 9 instructional courses were included in the programme as well as many oral papers, short oral papers and posters, covering the whole field of otorhinolaryngological problems in children. More than 700 participants from over 50 countries were welcomed in beautiful Budapest, which provided all facilities for a most successful conference.

The next ESPO International Congress will be held in June 5-9, 2010 in Pamplona, Spain.
Information may be obtained from the ESPO website www.espo.eu.com.

This article was published in European Archives, volume 265, number 9, September 2008. For more information, please go to www.springerlink.com.

submitted June 01, 2008.

The European Academy of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery (EAORL-HNS) and its affiliated members

Since its founding in  January 2005 at a meeting of the EUFOS Standing Committee of Training and Continuing Medical Education held at the ORL-HNS Department, University of Marburg, Germany, the EAORL-HNS has steadily grown in number.
Currently, the EAORL-HNS has 15 affiliated member societies and 2  partner societies, EUFOS and UEMS.

In past issues, EAACI, EAFPS, EGFL, ERS and PWG were be profiled. In this issue, EASM  and EAONO are presented.

The affiliated member societies are:

• EAACI - European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology ENT-Section
• EAFPS - European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery
• EASM - European Academy of Sleep Medicine
• EAONO - European Academy of Otology & Neurootology EFAS - European Federation of Audiological Societies
• EGDG - European Study Group for Globus and Dysphagia
• EGFL - European Study Group of Functional Surgery following Laryngectomy
• EHNS - European Head & Neck Society
• ELS - European Laryngological Society
• ERS - European Rhinologic Society
• ESBS - European Skull Base Society
• ESGS - European Salivary Gland Society
• ESPO - European Society of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
• PWG: Permanent Working Group of European Junior Doctors
• UEP - Union of European Phoniatricians

European Academy of Sleep Medicine

Founded in 2005 in Mannheim, Germany, the European Academy of Sleep Medicine (EASM) is a non-profit society dedicated to impart knowledge concerning the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders among physicians of all specialties involved in sleep medicine.

To achieve its goals, the society will offer training courses, organise conferences and build networks between universities and private practices as well as between in-patient and outpatient care.

EASM President and Head of  the ORL/HNS Dept. of Mannheim University, Karl Hörmann, is organizing several courses in 2008: after the German-language "14. Mannheimer Schlafapnoe-Kurs" which took place from April 4 - 5 and 11 - 13, 2008, the "15th International Course on Surgical Treatment of Sleep Related Breathing Disorders" will take place from September 19 - 20, 2008, both at the ORL/HNS Dept. of Mannheim University, Germany. Other (German-language) courses include "Minimal-invasive Chirurgie bei schlafbezogenen Atmungsstörungen – Workshop Radiofrequenzchirurgie" on October 29, 2008, and "Minimal-invasive Chirurgie bei schlafbezogenen Atmungsstörungen – Workshop Weichgaumenimplantate" on November 12, 2008.

Karl Hörmann has also been appointed  Congress President for the "1st European Academy ORL-HNS Meeting", due to take place from June 27 - 30, 2009 in Mannheim, Germany.
The scientific programme will offer a great variety of Instructional Courses and state-of-the-art Round Tables.

To read more about EASM, please visit www.easm.de.

European Academy of Otology and Neuro-Otology
EAONO, founded in April 1999, among many other things aims to bring together groups and experts in Otology, Neuro-otology or Skull base surgery from all over Europe, to stimulate basic and clinical research relating to these systems and disorders, encourage education, high quality training programmes and to promote new technologies in those fields.

EAONO also supports the foundation of  a working group called "Neuro-Otology" within the speciality otorhinolaryngology/cervico-facial surgery following the charter on training of medical specialists in the European community (UEMS).

EAONO will carry out a pilot project within the Socrates programme entitled : "European Curriculum  Development Project In Neuro-Otology : Harmonising knowledge and Teaching", which will create a transnational and multicentric teaching programme over a period of two years, contributing to the development of student and teacher mobility activities, and to the use of e-Learning and video conferencing techniques.

President Erwin Offeciers also represents Europe as Regional Secretary in IFOS, the International Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies.

Current projects include the "4th EAONO Instructional Workshop" due to take place in Palma de Mallorca from November 13- 16 , 2008. For more information, please visit www.eaono.org/workshop/.

This article was published in European Archives, volume 265, number 6, June 2008. For more information, please go to www.springerlink.com.

submitted May 01, 2008.

The European Academy of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery (EAORL-HNS) and its affiliated members

Since its founding in  January 2005 at a meeting of the EUFOS Standing Committee of Training and Continuing Medical Education held at the ORL-HNS Department, University of Marburg, Germany, the EAORL-HNS has steadily grown in number.
Currently, the EAORL-HNS has 15 affiliated member societies and 2  partner societies, EUFOS and UEMS.

In the past issue, after a brief history of the EAORL-HNS, two of its affiliated members, namely EAACI and EAFPS, were introduced. For this issue, EGFL, ERS and PWG will be profiled.

The affiliated member societies are:

• EAACI - European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology ENT-Section
• EAFPS - European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery
• EASM - European Academy of Sleep Medicine
• EAONO - European Academy of Otology & Neurootology EFAS - European Federation of Audiological Societies
• EGDG - European Study Group for Globus and Dysphagia
• EGFL - European Study Group of Functional Surgery following Laryngectomy
• EHNS - European Head & Neck Society
• ELS - European Laryngological Society
• ERS - European Rhinologic Society
• ESBS - European Skull Base Society
• ESGS - European Salivary Gland Society
• ESPO - European Society of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
• PWG: Permanent Working Group of European Junior Doctors
• UEP - Union of European Phoniatricians

EGFL

Founded in 1991, the European Study Group for Rehabilitation and Functional Surgery following Laryngectomy (EGFL) among other things aims to encourage research and clinical networks and to promote cultural and scientific exchange at a European level between researchers in this field. For that, EGFL has been organising European conferences every other year, most recently in June 2007 in Rome.
The next conference is planned for 2009 and will take place in Lisbon.

Cooperating closely with other international and national organisations relevant in this field, in the case of  the European Laryngological Society (ELS) this has resulted in a synchronisation of their congresses and participation in each others conferences. 

A new co-operation was started with ESEM, the European Society for Engineering and Medicine (founded in 1992 and aiming to establish a platform of cooperation between medicine and engineering on a European basis), which manifested itself in ESEM's participation in the EGFL-congress in Groningen in 2005.

EGFL's efforts to create European research networks have led to several European projects, among them the PEGASUS project (Biomed Concerted Action Project No. BMH1-CT94-1611), its goal being to make an inventory of surgical and rehabilitati­on strategies for cancers involving the la­rynx, to categorise them and to make relations between cultural and socio-economical aspects and treatment modalities.
Others include two Eureka-projects, namely ‘Artificial Larynx’, aimed at the development of an artificial larynx as reconstruction option, and ‘Newvoice’, aimed at the development of new prostheses and devices (e.g. a  voice-producing prosthesis, new prosthetic fixation methods and new, biofilm-resistant materials), in order to improve the rehabilitation process. 

For further information on EGFL and its activities, please get in touch with Secretary-General Bart Verkerke at the University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.

ERS

The European Rhinologic Society (ERS) was founded 1963 by van Dishoeck in Leiden (The Netherlands). It provides a forum for the exchange of experience among specialists, interested in rhinology, allergology, related facial plastic surgery and other fields. This goal is achieved by biannual congresses, by accredited courses, fellowships and awards for clinical and basic research. ERS gives access to the highest professional standards and contributes to the development of international consensus reports.

ERS-Fellowships support the participation in accredited courses on septorhinoplasty and endonasal sinus surgery in Ulm (Germany), Graz (Austria), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Nijmegen (The Netherlands) and London (United Kingdom). Biannual congresses of ERS are organized in cooperation with ISIAN (International Symposium on Infection and Allergy of the Nose) in different European countries. The congress in 2008 will be held in Crete (Greece) from June 15-19. For further details visit the website www.ers2008isian.com.

The European Rhinologic Society is a founding member of the European Academy of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. It is also a member of the International Rhinologic Society (IRS).

Informations on the society, accredited courses and congresses under ERS auspices as well as application forms for fellowships and research prizes are found at www.europeanrhinologicsociety.org.

Gerhard Rettinger, Ulm (Germany)
General Secretary ERS

PWG

Formally created in Bad-Nauheim, Germany, on May 29, 1976, the Permanent Working Group of European Junior Doctors (PWG) has grown steadily since and now represents the junior doctors of 23 countries in Europe.
The PWG’s main objectives include safeguarding the interests of  junior doctors in Europe, improving relations between its member organisations, and narrowing the gap between junior doctors of the European Union and those of other European countries.  Major topics of interest to junior doctors, and the PWG, have been the status of the medical workforce, temporary migration for educational purposes, postgraduate training and continuing medical education as well as future medical work and working conditions.

Striving to develop and maintainproductive relations with various European medical organisations and authorities, the PWG has had formal relations with the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CP) since 1983 and was granted consultative status in the Council of Europe in 1986.  The PWG also cooperates with the Regional Office of the World Health Organisation, the European Parliament and the European Commission, and has regular meetings with the most important European medical as well as medical students’ organisations to coordinate activities and increase efficacy.
During the first 25 years of its existence, the PWG has organised numerous plenary assemblies all over Europe and the rotation of meetings has ensured mutual understanding and the exchange of information.

To find out more about the PWG, please visit www.juniordoctors.eu.

This article was published in European Archives, volume 265, number 5, May 2008. For more information, please go to www.springerlink.com.

submitted April 16, 2008.

ENT Doctors Celebrate the Importance of Voice this Election Season

April 16 is World Voice Day

Alexandria, Va. - During this election season, the significance of a candidate’s voice is both literal and figurative. The race for the White House reminds us that one single voice can influence a nation and change the course of history. It is with this spirit that the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) celebrates World Voice Day on April 16 with the theme of “Let Your Voice Be Heard.”

The human voice is a powerful symbol of the right to communicate opinions and beliefs, but it is also a very physical part of everyday life. As candidates stump the campaign trail delivering speeches, talking one-on-one with voters, and giving countless interviews, they realize how critical it is to maintain proper vocal health.

Unfortunately, it is estimated that up to 7 million Americans suffer from some form of voice disorder, which can greatly impact their lives and ability to express themselves.

World Voice Day gives vocal health experts the opportunity to highlight the magnitude of vocal health to the general public and to professionals who have built careers around their voices. The 2008 theme, “Let Your Voice Be Heard,” is the perfect opportunity to remind our political leaders to conserve their indispensable voices.

As AAO-HNS celebrates the seventh year of the observance, ENT doctors offer some tips to keep the candidates in tip-top vocal shape:

• Drink plenty of water. Moisture is good for your voice. Hydration helps to keep thin secretions flowing to lubricate your vocal cords.
• Try not to scream or yell. These are abusive practices for your voice, and put great strain on the lining of the vocal cords.
• Warm up your voice before heavy use. Warm-ups can be simple, such as gently gliding from low to high tones on different vowel sounds, doing lip trills (like the motorboat sound that kids make), or tongue trills.
• Use good breath support. Breath flow is the power for voice. Take time to fill your lungs before starting to talk, and don’t wait until you are almost out of air before taking another breath to power your voice.
• Use a microphone. When giving a speech or presentation, consider using a microphone to lessen the strain on your voice.
• Listen to your voice when it is complaining to you. Know that you need to modify and decrease your voice use if you become hoarse to allow your vocal cords to recover. Pushing your voice when it’s already gruff can lead to significant problems. If your voice is hoarse frequently, or for an extended period of time, you should be evaluated by an otolaryngologist, a physician trained to treat disorders of the ears, nose, and throat.

In addition to these suggestions, new tools created for the 2008 observance include: “How the Voice Works” fact sheet; World Voice Day public service announcement; and a World Voice Day podcast.

Find out more here.

submitted March 20, 2008.

With the emergence of European sub-specialist organisations related to the world of ORL-HNS, such as the European Rhinological Society (ERS) in 1963 and the European Laryngological Society (ELS) as well as the European Academy of Otology and Neuro-otology (EAONO) in 1995, and following the Berlin Congress 2000, there has been a growing need to coordinate their activities.

This realization was the driving force behind forming the European Academy of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (EAORL-HNS), to bring together all of the European sub-speciality organisations in collaboration with EUFOS and UEMS, to provide harmonisation and rationalisation of courses, congresses, instructional sessions and teaching programmes within Europe. In addition, the need to provide a framework for instruction of trainee otorhinolaryngologists at an affordable price was addressed.

Thus, the principles of the EAORL-HNS were agreed upon and the EAORL-HNS was formally founded in January 2005, at a meeting of the EUFOS Standing Committee of Training and Continuing Medical Education held at the ORL-HNS Department, University of Marburg, Germany.

One of the EAORL-HNS’s recent achievements was the scientific programme for the 6th European Congress of Oto- Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, which took place from 30 June to 4 July 2007 in Vienna, Austria. It was compiled and planned in close collaboration with the member societies and the three programme coordinators: Klaus Jahnke (Germany) for Otology-Neurootology, Jan Olofsson (Norway) for Head and Neck-Laryngology, and Heinz Stammberger (Austria) for Rhinology-Facial Plastic Surgery. With over 3,000 participants from 96 countries, the 6th EUFOS Congress proved to be the largest of its kind in Europe.

The Academy’s next project is the “1st European Academy ORL-HNS Meeting”, due to take place from 27–30 June, 2009 in Mannheim, Germany, which will over a great variety of Instructional Courses and state-of-the-art Round Tables. Congress President Karl Hörmann is working in close cooperation with an outstanding scientific committee to Wll the scientiWc programme with life in the months to come!

Currently, the EAORL-HNS has 15 affiliated member societies, a co-opted member society, namely the Mediterranean Society of Otology and Audiology (MSOA), and two partner societies, EUFOS and UEMS ORL Section.

In order to better acquaint the readers of this journal with the EAORL-HNS (www.eaorl-hns.org), its members and activities, each member society will be brieXy introduced in forthcoming issues.

The afilliated member societies are:

• EAACI: European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology ENT-Section
• EAFPS: European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery
• EASM: European Academy of Sleep Medicine
• EAONO: European Academy of Otology & Neurootology
• EFAS: European Federation of Audiological Societies
• EGDG: European Study Group for Globus and Dysphagia
• EGFL: European Study Group of Functional Surgery following Laryngectomy
• EHNS: European Head and Neck Society
• ELS: European Laryngological Society
• ERS: European Rhinologic Society
• ESBS: European Skull Base Society
• ESGS: European Salivary Gland Society
• ESPO: European Society of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
• PWG: Permanent Working Group of European Junior Doctors
• UEP: Union of European Phoniatricians

Forty-nine countries are represented in the EAACI ENT-section, which is growing steadily and currently has more than 300 members.

The EAACI ENT-section works in close collaboration with GA²LEN, the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network, a consortium of leading European research centres specialized in allergic diseases, which includes asthma.

Some of the topics investigated are upper-lower airways interactions, viral infection and upper-lower airways hyper- reactivity, bacterial superantigens and non-allergic rhinitis, to name but a few.

A special task force is working on the European position paper (EPOS) on rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps, the current version is available for download at this link.

Another task force is currently investigating “Tools and methods in the diagnosis and investigation of rhinitis and rhinosinusitis”.

From 7–11 June, 2008 the XXVII Congress of the Euro- pean Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology will take place in Barcelona, Spain, dedicated to “Clinical Features of Allergy: from Pediatric to Geriatric”. Of special interest to Rhinologists is the Symposium on Experimental Rhinology and Immunology of the Nose ( SERIN ) to be held in Dubrovnik in November 2008.

To find out more about EAACI and the EAACI ENT section, please visit www.eaaci.net.

Formerly known as The Joseph Society and as the European Academy of Facial Surgery, the EAFPS was founded in 1977. Its objectives are to stimulate training, research and scientiWc advancement in the Weld of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Members are drawn from all interested specialities with expertise in facial surgery both within Europe and further aWeld, and currently number more than 700.

Each year high quality courses and meetings are convened by the Academy. There is a Fellowship Programme which places successful candidates in centres of excellence throughout Europe. Following this the Fellows sit the exam of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. This is the only validated exam in facial plastic surgery anywhere in the world. The exam is reviewed annually and administered in accordance with “Standards for Education and Psychological Testing” prepared jointly by the American Education Research Association, the American Psychological Association and the National Council on Measurement in Education.

The European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery is affiliated to the International Federation of Facial Plastic Surgery Societies.

The Annual Conference in the 31st Year of The European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery will take place from September 24–28, 2008 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Information on the EAFPS and its activities can be found at www.eafps.org, and the congress homepage at www.eafps-due2008.eu.

taken from the European Archives of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, http://www.springer.com/medicine/otorhinolaryngology/journal/405.

submitted Jan 29, 2008.

As the number of visitors increases on the EAORL-HNS website, so does the number of functionalities asked for by these people. In response to one of these demands, we have added a new Job Announcement section to the website. To see the job listing section, please click here.

If you would like to add your job announcement to this page, please write to webmaster.

submitted Dec 25, 2007.

Dear friends,

2007 was a great year for the European Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, thanks to all of you!

The 6th European Congress of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (EUFOS) in Vienna was very successful, due mainly to the many high-standard contributions of the subspecialty societies, organized in the European Academy of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (hereafter referred to as the Academy) in co-work with EUFOS.

But also our charming Austrian hosts Klaus Albegger and Heinz Stammberger did outstanding work, the Mondial Group perfectly organized the meeting and the impressive Hofburg provided an optimal ambience.

The Vienna Congress will be a historical landmark for us. During the Closing Session,we defined the aims, objectives and strategies to create a strong and effective united European ORL-HNS organization by way of a friendly merger. During the Congress, it was already decided to offer the Academy's secretariat to all EUFOS activities. Our Society Manager, Ms. Andrea Balcar, can be reached at ++43 1 58804 800 or society@eaorl-hns.org.

Finally in Vienna, the main steps of the merging process of EUFOS and the Academy were defined together with Jan Olofsson, EUFOS' new President, who did perfect work.

Since then, the General Secretaries and Treasurers of both EUFOS and the Academy, together with Reidar Grenman and Richard Maw (both ORL-section of UEMS) have created an excellent constitution of the Confederation, which will now have to be accredited by the General Assemblies of EUFOS and the Academy. It will be distributed within the next few weeks.

For the next 18 months, we should continue to fill our aims and objectives with life. One example would be a timetable for the development of a European Board Certification of ORL-HNS.

Another example would be to encourage some subspecialty societies to develop programmes of subspecialty training. This we should discuss in Barcelona in May 2008. The greatest challenge for the near future, I believe, is to perfectly prepare the Mannheim Meeting, presided by Karl Hörmann.

More than in Vienna, it will be the duty of the subspecialty societies - in co-operation with Karl Hörmann and his group - to send proposals for Instructional Courses and State-of-the-Art Round Tables. For that purpose, we invite each subspecialty society to elect one representative responsible for this task, and to inform Karl Hörmann of their decision until the end of January 2008.

One of Karl's duties will be to offer special time schedules for each subspecialty.

We all want the 1st Academy Meeting - which will be organized in close co-operation with EUFOS - to be a great success!

Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and with my very best personal regards,

Yours Sincerely,

Klaus

submitted Nov 19, 2007.

ENT News dedicated several pages in its September/October issue to the EUFOS congress, June 30 - July 4, 2007

To read the entire article, please click on this link

submitted Nov 19, 2007.

The EAORL-HNS 2007 General Assembly minutes are now online.

You my consult the minutes by clicking here.

submitted July 25, 2007.

From June 30 to July 4, 2007, the 6th Congress of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EU.F.O.S.) took place at Vienna’s Hofburg.

The Austrian Society of ORL, HNS and the European Academy of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and its member societies all actively contributed to the scientific programme, which was compiled and planned in close cooperation with the three programme coordinators, Klaus Jahnke (Germany) for Otology — Neurootology, Jan Olofsson (Norway) for Head and Neck—Laryngology and Heinz Stammberger (Austria) for Rhinology—Facial Plastic Surgery.

At the opening ceremony, Heinz Stammberger surprised the audience with a take on ‘The Third Man’, and reminded everyone that ‘Vienna always was at a crossroads...’, while the Wild Ensemble gave a musical tour de force of all that Vienna has to offer. Opening lectures by Benoıˆt Lengele´ (Belgium) about the first human face transplant and Hartmut Neumann (Germany) about the European Paraganglioma Network gave the audience a first glimpse of what else to expect.

Up to 12 sessions ran parallel in the stately rooms of the former Habsburg residence at any given time, presenting the very latest in clinical practice and research.

Within the framework of Instructional Courses, 37 live dissection operations were performed, offering delegates the opportunity to get acquainted with new procedures and techniques. With a total of 55 scientific sessions, 30 keynote lectures, 79 instructional courses, 89 round tables and 3133 participants from 96 countries, the EUFOS congress proved beyond doubt to be the largest of its kind in Europe. In addition, more than 80 participating companies made this one of the largest commercial exhibitions ever at a European ENT congress.

On the final day, some of the field’s leading minds gathered in a special round table to discuss "European ENT—quo vadis? The Final Round....Table", to share ideas and discuss current topics and controversies in the field, providing a suitable ending to this multi-day event.

The panel included:

• Desiderio Passali, President of IFOS (Italy)
• Peter Clement, Former President of EUFOS (Belgium)
• Klaus Jahnke, President of the EAORL-HNS (Germany)
• Reidar Grenman, President of UEMS-ENT-Section (Finland)
• Erwin Offeciers, IFOS Regional Secretary for Europe (Belgium)
• Jan Olofsson, newly elected President of EUFOS (Norway)
• Klaus Albegger (Austria) and Heinz Stammberger (Austria), Congress Presidents

A summary of their statements will be published in the next issue. In his words of farewell to the audience, Klaus Albegger expressed his wish that everyone take the ‘spirit of Vienna’ home with them.

All in all, the outstanding success of this 6th EUFOS Congress proved that ENT is a very lively community, with strong ties in Europe and far beyond.

Text and photos: Andrea Balcar, Society Manager EAORL-HNS

submitted June 06, 2007.

The General Assembly for EFAS representatives will be held on Friday the 8th of June from 12.30-13.30 at the EFAS congress in Heidelberg. The location for the meeting will be announced at the registration desk.
Lunch-boxes will be served.

submitted Jan 09, 2007.

East Meets West International Academy of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Meeting in Antwerp

Venue: Antwerp, Belgium. Date: 13-14th October, 2006.
Report by: Prof Hesham Negm, Cairo University, Egypt.

Antwerp, a marvellous metropolis of culture and trade, owes its prosperity not only to a gigantic port along the river Scheldt, a worldrenowned diamond centre and a delightful inner city, but it also holds an impressive cultural heritage. Indeed, amongst a wide variety of wonderful aspects, Antwerp stands for Rubens, van Dyck, Jordaens, Bruegel, Plantyn and centuries of fine architecture, music and artistic crafts, and so it was an excellent locale for the International Academy of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery to host its meeting.

This was the first meeting of the Academy in Western Europe. The title ‘East Meets West’ was chosen by Prof Bert Schmelzer, Conference President, with the goal of bringing Eastern European, Central-Asian, American, African and Western European colleagues together in an amicable atmosphere to learn from one another and to set an example for their younger colleagues. The venue was the prestigious Thirteenth Century ‘Elzenveld’, first built as a hospital and then renovated into a lovely conference centre in the late 80s. Its chapel is from 1236, and there is still a hospital building on the site of the conference centre.

The Guests of Honour at the meeting were: Marius Pluzhnikov (Russia), President of the IAO-HNS, Fred Stucker (USA), Rais Tulebaev (Kazakhstan), George Feigin (Kirkizstan), Peter Clement (Belgium), EUFOS President, and Vasant Oswal (UK). Prof Vasant Oswal was awarded the NP Simanovskii Golden Medal for his contribution to the pedagogical activities of the IAOHNS. Prof Bert Schmelzer was awarded with a diploma as Professor of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences. Prof Marius Plouzhnikov was awarded the Memorial Medal of Collegium Amicititae Sacrum.

A large number of guest speakers were invited to give excellent lectures, including: K Jahnke, President of the European Academy, V Jahnke and J Werner (Germany), V Ananian (USA), H Negm (Egypt), V Bykova, G Tavartkiladze and V Linkov (Russia), G Cingi (Turkey), R Rozenson (Kazakhstan), K Albegger (Austria), M Romanitan (Sweden), D Zabolotny (Ukrain), E Vitte (France), P VanDeHeyning, FE Offeciers, M Jorissen, J Claes, J Daele, I Dhooge, V Vander Poorten, S Vlaminck and J Watelet (Belgium), and others.

The lectures covered a wide spectrum of topics in all fields of otorhinolaryngology, from FESS to stapes surgery and from cochlear implantation to head and neck tumours. N Daikhis (Russia) and K Albegger (Austria) received their documents as new members of the IAO-HNS. Prof K Albegger, President of the upcoming EUFOS Congress, invited Academy members to attend the EUFOS Conference next June in Vienna where an Academy meeting will also take place.

A wonderful concert was conducted by Prof Ananian (Violin) and Mr Donald (Piano) inside the old chapel in a legendary atmosphere. The beautiful weather made the pre-conference tour to Ghent and Bruges unforgettable. Bruges, a city that has remained undamaged since the early 14th Century, was perhaps the nicest stay because of its complete renovation. Peter Clement invited all foreign guests to partake of this wonderful trip. Guests also enjoyed the wonderful tastes of Belgian food and drinks at the welcoming party, an exclusive gala dinner in the superb main hall and an elegant farewell dinner in the old opera house. All events were joyful and unforgettable to all.

--source ENT News, Vol. 15, No. 6, Jan/Feb 2007

submitted Oct 06, 2006.

At the last EAORL-HNS Executive Business Meeting in Cologne on September 23, 2006, it was decided that the 2009 EAORL-HNS will:

• take place in Mannheim, Germany
• be at the end of June/beginning July 2009
• the Chairman of the Meeting will be Prof. Dr. med. Karl Hörmann (president of EASM, dean of Heidelberg-Mannheim University).

submitted Sept 21, 2006.

Don't forget to mark your calendars for the next EAORL-HNS Business Meeting: February 16-19, 2007 - Vienna