Nadia Van Den Berg, ST5, Otolaryngology, Temple Street Hospital
Set in the culture capital of Ireland, the 66th Annual Irish Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery Society (IOS) meeting was held with great success in the Salthill Hotel, Galway. The meeting was opened with a welcoming address from IOS President, Professor Rory McConn Walsh, and proceeded to a captivating session on lateral skull base pathology.
World-renowned lateral skull base surgeon, Professor Richard Irving of Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, addressed the current management of paragangliomas in the region. This was followed by excellent talks from Professor Shakeel Saeed on vestibular schwannoma management, and Professor Manohar Bance from the University of Cambridge on genetic hearing loss and the role of surgical gene therapies. The section was closed by Professor James Paul O’Neill and Professor Patrick Nicholson.
Dr Garret Choby presenting on transpterygoid approaches to the anterior skull base.
Continuing the meeting theme of skull base surgery, the Anterior Skull Base plenary session was opened by University of Pittsburgh Associate Professor, Garret Choby, a leading expert in the management of sinonasal malignancy and anterior skull base tumours. Mr Shahz Ahmed, from Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, discussed the role of a transorbital approach to the skull base. The session was closed by a riveting tumour board discussion, led by Professor Robbie Woods.
The evening was set in motion with a drinks reception and the much anticipated traditional Wilde Discourse, presented this year by Professor Richard Irving. The gala black-tie dinner ensued with delicious food, drinks and live music.
Day two was commenced with a head and neck free paper session, followed by a panel discussion on current topics in paediatric ENT, including updates in the management of chronic otitis media with effusion and sleep disordered breathing.
Our Global Ambassador Nash Patil (right) awarding the best poster prize to Dr I Braithwaite.
A diverse array of excellent free papers and poster presentations were delivered throughout the conference. The prestigious Aongus Curran scholarship was awarded to Dr JJ Cronin for his presentation on neoadjuvant cemiplimab monotherapy in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Dr Sean Dolan won best oral presentation for his presentation on cocaine induced rhinological complications in Northern Ireland, and the best poster prize (Prof Nash Patil Award) went to Dr I Braithwaite, who presented on the use of single-use channelled nasal endoscopes in the management of pharyngeal fish bones.
After two years of dedicated service, Professor McConn Walsh (above, left) closed the meeting with a passing of the baton to Keith Trimble (above, right) , as he takes on the role of IOS President.
The eagerly anticipated 67th Annual IOS Conference will take place in October 2026.
