Edward Balai, ST4 Otolaryngology, Charing Cross Hospital.
On a lovely sunny May morning in Winchester, the British Rhinological Society and ENT UK welcomed attendees to this two-day conference at the wonderful Guildhall.
The BRS Juniors Annual Meeting was held in the morning session on the first day, with over 70 junior delegates in attendance. The programme began with the current BRS President Raj Bhalla (below left) giving a fascinating talk on the evolution of rhinology over the past 15 years. This was followed by an insightful lecture on key clinical topics and the future of rhinology from Saleh Okhovat. The morning continued with a panel session with current and previous fellows discussing the benefits of a UK-based rhinology fellowship. Next came an open forum Q&A with UK fellowship directors that gave attendees the chance to ask questions about fellowship applications and what is expected of a fellow.
After a quick coffee break, Miss Slovick and Mr Sharma gave us their top tips and experiences of life as a new consultant. Before Professor Philpott and Miss Rennie passed on their expert advice on ways to maximise your academic profile and CV in rhinology. We then heard from Mr Bhalla and Professor Andrews on how the BRS and RSM can support trainees, and the range of opportunities, grant and bursaries that are available from both of these organisations. The BRS Juniors meeting then closed with a brilliant ‘Top of the SNOTS’ talk from Professor Hopkins (above right), passing on her wisdom and experience through a number of rhinology cases.
The BRS Annual Meeting kicked off after lunch with a welcome address from Mr Bhalla and Mr Ashok Rokade. We were then treated to an excellent lecture by Professor Bleier, of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear, on the identification and therapeutic targeting of novel epithelial drivers of CRS.
This was followed by the free paper presentations, with presentations on a range of projects by medical students and trainees from departments across the UK. The free paper presentation first prize was awarded to Sofia Anastasiadou for her presentation on anxiety screening in patients undergoing awake rhinological surgery.
During the programme break, there were over 40 trainee and medical student posters on display in the conference exhibition space. The poster presentation first prize was awarded to Vikas Acharya for his poster looking at whether specific and dedicated surgical mentoring and training enhances workplace satisfaction for junior doctors in ENT.
After the break we had the Storz Lecture, where we were extremely fortunate to have Professor Castelnuovo (right), of the University of Insubria and Ospedale di Circolo-Varese in Italy, talk to us about his journey in rhinology and anterior skull base surgery. Sharing his top tips and the pearls of wisdom that he’s gained from his many years of experience in this field.
The meeting continued with a rhinology-focused update on respiratory conditions from Consultant Respiratory Physician Dr Rupani, and a thought-provoking lecture on improving sustainability and reducing waste in rhinology by current UCLH Rhinology fellow Mr Shamil. To bring the first day of the conference to a close, Professor Bleier took to the podium again to give a fascinating and inspiring talk on the recent advances in endoscopic transorbital surgery.
In the evening, attendees enjoyed a formal dinner in the Guildhall that was an excellent opportunity to network and catch up with colleagues.
Day two of the conference began with the Dragon’s Den session, with research proposals pitched to the panel and wider audience. There were several excellent pitches proposing a range of projects, with the research funding ultimately being awarded to Issa Begun and his project investigating the role of lipid mediators in CRS.
The morning session continued with excellent talks on the practicalities of aspirin desensitisation and clinical photography for septorhinoplasty. We were then fortunate enough to have another fantastic talk from another international speaker, with Professor Xavier, of Hospital Luz Arrabida in Portugal, giving his expert insight on balancing aesthetics in structural septorhinoplasty. The programme then continued with a primary focus on nasal surgery, with panel sessions on nasal valve surgery, nasal reconstruction, management of nasal septal perforations, and frontal sinus surgery.
The conference concluded with a closing address from Mr Bhalla, and the passing on of the BRS Presidency to Professor Andrews.
This was a hugely successful conference, with an excellent programme of speakers and the highest number of trainee delegates in attendance to date. Congratulations to Mr Bhalla, Mr Rokade, ENT UK, the BRS council and the BRS Juniors committee for organising and running such a fantastic event.
Future meeting details: 16-17 May 2024, Cardiff, venue TBC.
