COSM 2009: Six Societies Address Hot-Button Issues

The American Head and Neck Society annual meeting at COSM is the most important meeting of the year for head and neck surgery practitioners. The focus of this year’s meeting on what is new, what is controversial, and what is coming set this meeting apart and will be of interest to all otolaryngologists. In addition, the emphasis at this year’s AHNS meeting of our role as educators and providers in this era of globalization is timely and relevant, said Dr. Gourin.

American Laryngological Association (ALA)

With 30 oral presentations, ALA attendees will have a chance to hear the latest updates in laryngological research-both basic and clinical. Topics will include vocal fold paralysis, vocal fold wound healing, new technology such as laryngeal pacing, the latest update on laryngeal transplantation, and more, said ALA President Roger L. Crumley, MD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery at University of California, Irvine.

Some of the highlights include six papers on unilateral vocal fold motion impairment, which promise to give new insights into management of the condition, plus a special section on bilateral vocal fold motion impairment. The latter will feature a state-of-the-art lecture by Jean-Paul Marie, MD, from Rouen University in France, on Human Bilateral Laryngeal Reinnervation, Implications for Transplantation. There will also be a panel discussion that promises to be lively and thought-provoking. This will be perhaps the most ground-breaking aspect of the program, Dr. Crumley said.

A must-see will be the Daniel Baker Lecture, to be given by Lawrence Krames, MD, with the intriguing title of DaVinci, Netter, Rockwell, ENT… and Me. For those interested in population findings on vocal issues, there will be a paper looking at epidemiological findings of the voice and dysphonia in performers. Of interest, especially to researchers, is a talk by Gordon Hughes, MD, on new funding opportunities at the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD).

There will also be a presentation and update on the world’s first successful laryngeal transplant and what the findings are at 10 years. In addition, the ALA has designed its program to allow for greater emphasis on discussion times to allow for more audience interaction with speakers.

American Neurotology Society (ANS)

This year’s ANS scientific sessions will include the latest medical research for tinnitus treatment options, as well as numerous other hot topics. Among the highlights are talks on blast injury and how it affects balance, comparing the accuracy of bedside vestibular tests to video nystagmography, breakthrough cochlear implant findings, and more.