The OTO O b s e r v e r The Newsletter of the Department of Otolaryngology Medical College of Georgia

Transcription

1 The OTO O b s e r v e r The Newsletter of the Department of Otolaryngology Medical College of Georgia Volume 7, Issue 1 Spring 2009 Inside This Issue Faculty Highlights Message from the Chair Honors ORL Endocrine Issue Clinical Highlights SPOHNC Walk Oral Cancer Screening Audiology Integrated Staff Highlights Nancy Edenfield-Unsung Hero Joy Benson Honored Educational CME Symposia Grand Rounds Update Department Recognized for Excellence Consultant of the Year Clinical Spotlight Minimally Invasive Thyroid Surgery in Children Renovations and Space MCG Thyroid Center New VA Chief to Expand Cancer and Sleep Programs Dr. Jimmy Brown, DDS, MD became the latest high-profile addition to our expanding department. Dr. Brown was most recently an Associate Professor at Stanford University, and with his DDS and MD degrees, he joins three other dual-degree faculty members (Lana Jackson, MD, PharmD; Stil Kountakis, MD, PhD; and Brian McKinnon, MD, MBA) in the department. Dr. Brown, originally from Jamaica, has already been a high-impact individual in a number of Jimmy Brown different ways, beginning with a career as an All- American soccer star at New York University. He attended dental school at Howard University, received his medical degree from George Washington University, and completed his residency at King-Drew Medical Center, followed by a Joint Council-approved Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery fellowship at Stanford University in In addition to administrative experience as Chair of the Department at King-Drew, Dr. Brown brings an unusual skill set in that he is an expert head and neck ablative and reconstructive surgeon who is also experienced with advanced orthognathic sleep surgery. He will clearly have an immediate impact on the care of patients at MCG. Research Weinberger Elected to Cancer Research Board Student Receives AMA Grant Publications Resident & Alumni News Hail and Farewell Alumni Update Editor: Lori M. Burkhead, PhD Associate Editor: Donna M. Black Phone Numbers and Web Site A d d r e s s A p p o i n t m e n t s : A c a d e m i c : F a x : To learn more about recent events in the department, visit: w w w. m c g. e d u / o t o l a r y n g o l o g y Department Acknowledged as One of Nation s Most Innovative (See inside for details)

2 FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS SPRING 2009 Message from the Chair On the heels of a spectacular Masters tournament featuring beautiful weather, low scoring, and a three-way playoff to determine the champion, we have finished recruitment for one position and opened searches for four more faculty members. Dr. Jimmy Brown will take over at the VA and will play a pivotal role at the new Clinical Cancer Center, scheduled to open in November of We are seeking additional surgeons in the fields of endocrine surgery, otology, laryngology and pediatric otolaryngology to complete our transition to a first-class comprehensive department of otolaryngology. We also will have a fourth fellow in the department this year for the first time we will have a fellow in general otolaryngology. It promises to be another busy year! David J. Terris, M.D., F.A.C.S. Porubsky Professor and Chairman Honors Stil Kountakis was appointed to the National Nominating Committee of the Triological Society, and will begin his term as President of the ARS in September He was visiting professor at Sun Yat-sen University in China, and an invited speaker at the 10 th Postgraduate Seminar of Otolaryngology in Volos, Greece and the Rhinologic Society of Greece. at George Washington, Stanford, the University of Calgary, and UCSD, and was a guest speaker for the Los Angeles, Michigan and Oklahoma Otolaryngology Societies. Lori Burkhead was an invited speaker at the 17 th Annual Dysphagia Research Society meeting in New Orleans, LA. Brian McKinnon was selected to receive the Hearing Loss Association of America s Professional Advisor Award. This award will be conferred at the Annual HLAA meeting in Nashville in June. Greg Postma was an invited speaker at University of California Irvine and also in the MCG Department of Anesthesia for a workshop on the management of the difficult airway. He was elected as an at-large member of the hospital Medical Executive Committee, and President of the Dysphagia Research Society. Dr. Postma received a Presidential citation from the ABEA at the Annual meeting in Arizona in May. David Terris was appointed Associate Editor of the Endocrine Section of Head & Neck and was named to America s Top Doctors. He was visiting professor ORL Endocrine Issue Dr. Terris was invited to edit a special issue of the journal ORL (Journal for Oto- Rhino- Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery) entitled Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery: New and Emerging Concepts. Three Fellowships Available Endocrine/Head and Neck Surgery (contact Dr. David Terris) Rhinology/Sinus Surgery (contact Dr. Stil Kountakis) Laryngology (contact Dr. Gregory Postma)

3 SPRING 2009 RESIDENT AND ALUMNI UPDATE H a i l Melanie Seybt Ozan Ozgursoy Jastin A n t i s d e l Selmin Ozgursoy Tarik Farrag Claude Harbarger MCG Mayo Clinic St. Louis Univ. Mayo Clinic Johns Hopkins Univ. of Miss. Endocrine Fellow Laryngology Fellow Rhinology Fellow General Fellow PGY-1 PGY-1 Fa rewe l l Brent Metts will join a group practice in Dallas, TX Jason McChesney will join the faculty at Univ. of West VA Singaporean Connection Continues Troy Woodard will join the faculty at Cleveland Clinic Melanie Seybt will pursue fellowship in Endocrine at MCG Tammara Watts will pursue fellowship in Head and Neck at OHSU who have journeyed to Augusta, and Dr. Terris will be making his sixth trip to Singapore in the fall to participate in their thyroid course. Among our many privileges is the hosting of visitors to our department (more than 40 surgeons from around the country and beyond this past year). We recently had the honor of welcoming Dennis Chua from Singapore. Dr. Chua found time to enjoy our local cuisine (see photo) between observations of endoscopic thyroidectomy and advanced sinus surgeries. Dr. Chua is one of several Singaporeans D r. A n d e rson Gets Marr i e d Susan Anderson (Endocrine-Head and Neck Fellow, 07) tied the knot with Keith Smith in a beautiful ceremony overlooking the sunset over the ocean of Florida s Key West. Dr. Anderson practices in Conyers, Georgia with Art Torsiglieri and Don Cote. Dennis Chua (center) is flanked by Lana Jackson, Kenneth Iverson, Helen Perakis, and David Terris Dr. Terris with former fellow Susan Anderson at her wedding in January To share your news with other alumni, please send updates to Donna Black at donnab@mcg.edu or call

4 RESEARCH SPRING 2009 Weinberger Elected to Cancer Research Board Paul Weinberger Publications Resident Paul Weinberger was recently elected to serve on the Associate Member Council of the American Association for Cancer Research. The AACR is the oldest and largest scientific organization focused on cancer research. The Associate Member Council serves as the leadership body for the over 6,000 Associate Members of the AACR (graduate students, postdoctoral trainees and early career scientists). Paul is the first MCG researcher to be elected to this council, and he will serve a three-year term. Chheda NN, Postma GN. Patient compliance with proton pump inhibitor therapy in an otolaryngology practice. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 117(9): , Chheda NN, Rosen CA, Belafsky PC, Simpson CB, Postma GN. Revision laryngeal surgery for the suboptimal injection of calcium hydroxylapatite. Laryngoscope 118: , Birchall MA, Postma GN, Koufman JA, et al. Immunologic response of the laryngeal mucosa to extraesophageal reflux. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 117(12): , Belafsky PC, Mouadeb DA, Rees CJ, Pryor JC, Postma GN, Allen J, Leonard RJ. Validity and reliability of the eating assessment tool. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 117(12): , Hachiya A, Chheda NN, Postma GN. Acquired vascular compression of the esophagus. ENT J 87(12):677, Becker AM, Kountakis SE. Case studies in the surgical management of nasal airway obstruction. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 42(2): , Terris DJ, Opraseuth J. Minimally invasive reoperative thyroid surgery. Otolaryngol Clin North Sunny Khichi Receives AMA Grant Sunny Khichi, a junior medical student working with Paul Weinberger, is one of 28 national recipients of an American Medical Association Foundation Seed Grant for his thyroid cancer research. The foundation provides grants to medical students, residents and fellows to conduct basic, applied or clinical research. Sunny will be using his funding to study the value of Galectin-3 as a diagnostic and screening biomarker for thyroid cancer, building on prior promising results in Weinberger s lab. Sunny Khichi Am 41(6): , Das S, Maeso PA, Becker AM, Prosser JD, Adam BL, Kountakis SE. Proteomics blood testing to distinguish chronic rhinosinusitis subtypes. Laryngoscope 118(12):2231-4, Chheda NN, Seybt MW, Schade RR, Postma GN. Normal values for pharyngeal ph monitoring. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 118(3):166-71, Hachiya A. Chheda NN, Postma GN. Large mixed hiatal hernia and stricture as a cause of dysphagia. ENT J 88(3):826, Sanderson JD, Kountakis SE, McMains KC. Endoscopic management of cerebrospinal fluid leaks. Facial Plast Surg 25(1):29-37, Gourin CG, Boyce BJ, Vaught CC, Burkhead LM, Podolsky RH. Effect of comorbidity on posttreatment quality of life scores in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Laryngoscope 119(5): , Plowman-Prine EK, Burkhead LM et al. Perceptual characteristics of Parkinsonian speech: A comparison of the pharmacological effects of levodopa across speech and non-speech motor systems. Neuro Rehabilitation 24(2):131-44, 2009.

5 SPRING 2009 SPOHNC Walk CLINICAL HIGHLIGHTS Oral Cancer Screening Our Support for People with Oral, Head & Neck Cancer Support Group participated in the first annual SPOHNC Walk on May 9. This event increased awareness of the unique challenges faced by those with oral, head and neck cancer and successfully raised funds for the local and national organization. SPOHNC provides invaluable resources for patients, including an information-rich website ( Introducing MCG Audiology Associates The Department participated for the seventh consecutive year in the Oral Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week sponsored by the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance. As part of a nationwide effort to improve early detection, free oral cancer screenings were provided. We re pleased to announce that responsibility for Audiology services has been transferred from the MCG Health System to the Department of Otolaryngology. With a full complement of three audiologists (Althea Grey, Au.D., Amanda Curtis, M.Ed., and Amy Johnson, M.S.), MCG Audiology Associates offers the most advanced evaluation of hearing and balance disorders in Augusta. Dr. Grey obtained her Doctor of Audiology at Salus University and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology. She focuses on auditory processing disorders, evoked potentials evaluation, hearing aid dispensing, and balance evaluations. Ms. Curtis (UGA, 98, 00) was recruited to MCG after an externship with the Emory Clinic. She has SPRING 2009 Nancy Edenfield The mission of the Department of Otolaryngology cannot be achieved without the hard work and dedication of many staff members. One of these unsung heroes is Nancy Edenfield. Nancy has held many positions during her 25 years with us including assistant to the Chair and residency coordinator. She currently provides essential transcription services for all of the faculty and residents, and continues to produce the same worked with Dr. Brian McKinnon to re-establish the cochlear implant program. Amanda expects to be awarded her Doctor of Audiology degree from the University of Florida later this year. Ms. Johnson obtained her Master s from Vanderbilt and stayed on gaining experience at the VA Medical Center and the Bill Wilkerson Center. She joined the MCG team in 2007, and also works at the Augusta VA. Dr. McKinnon is the area s only board-certified Neurotologist, and our population now has access to a full range of options to treat balance disorders and the most cutting-edge treatments for hearing problems, from hearing aids to implantable devices and cochlear implants. STAFF HIGHLIGHTS high-quality work that she has given to the department for 25 years. Thank you Nancy! Joy Benson was recently recognized for 15 years of service at the Medical College of Georgia. Our department has had the great fortune of benefitting from Joy s skill and good nature for 12 of those 15 years. Joy is a 2003 recipient of the department Distinguished Service Award. Joy Benson

6 EDUCATIONAL SPRING 2009 Academic Accolades for MCG s Continuing Education The first two continuing education programs for the year featured dynamic, nationally recognized guest lecturers. Dana Thompson (Mayo Clinic) focused on endoscopic swallowing examination across the lifespan during the FEES Symposium. The Temporal Bone Dissection and Otology Update included lectures by Kenneth Grundfast (Boston), John McElveen (Duke) and Christopher Post (Drexel). Still to come in 2009 is the 7 th Annual Porubsky Symposium (June 12-13) featuring a keynote address by Jennifer Derebery (House Ear Clinic). The Thyroid/Parathyroid Symposium (October 9-10) is one of international collaboration between the University of Pisa s Paolo Miccoli and Michele Minuto and MCG s David Terris and Melanie Sebyt, featuring seven additional first-rate lecturers from around the country. Visit our website for details on these offerings. Grand Rounds Update Our Grand Rounds program this past year included Michael M. Johns (Emory University) and William Shockley (UNC-Chapel Hill) among others. Scheduled for are Bhuvanesh Singh (MSK), Paul Lambert (MUSC), Albert Merati (University of Washington), and Clark Rosen (University of Pittsburgh). Professor William Shockley shares clinical pearls with the residents Department Chosen as One of the Best We re proud of the recognition accorded to our department in a recent front page feature article in the Academic Physician and Scientist. Declared to be one of the nation s most innovative programs, features that were emphasized included the numerous multidisciplinary clinical and educational efforts, prospective planning and trauma conferences, and resident exposure to business aspects of medicine. This recognition is a clear endorsement of the hard work and efforts of every member of our team, from the faculty and residents all the way to our superb administrative staff and world-class nursing team. Consultant of the Year We re pleased to announce the winner of this year s coveted Consultant of the Year award. Paul Biddinger, who joined the Department of Pathology as director of surgical pathology only two years ago, was the unanimous choice as this year s Paul Biddinger Consultant of the Year honoree. Dr. Biddinger is an expert in head and neck and endocrine pathology, and recently coauthored the text book Diagnostic Pathology and Molecular Genetics of the Thyroid. He plays a pivotal role in the comprehensive head and neck tumor board directed by Dr. Lana Jackson, and is a resident favorite for his educational pearls. He is deserving of the special recognition conferred by this award.

7 SPRING 2009 CLINICAL SPOTLIGHT Minimally Invasive Thyroid Surgery Effective in Children The novel surgical techniques that have been used to accomplish minimally invasive and endoscopic thyroid surgery in adult patients can also be utilized in children, according to data recently analyzed by Melanie Seybt (Chief Resident). In the second largest series of its kind, Seybt and her co-investigators Endoscopic visualization of recurrent nerve found that 22 children underwent a successful minimally invasive thyroidectomy with an incision length as small as 1.5 cm. When faced with caring for the most vulnerable of our patients, it s comforting to know that a cosmetically satisfying outcome can be offered when dealing with thyroid diseases, said Dr. Seybt. There were two patients who experienced transient hypocalcemia (9.1%), one of who underwent a simultaneous tonsillectomy and was therefore unable to complete our usual regimen of prophylactic oral calcium supplementation, but no long-term complications. This work was presented at the Southern Section Meeting of the Triological Society in Bonita Springs, FL Delivery of the thyroid lobe Renovations and More Space Final appearance with glue and a steri-strip As the department continues to mature, we have outgrown our available space. As a result, we are increasing our departmental footprint. The first stage will involve the creation of a fourth otology suite to support Dr. McKinnon s ever-increasing practice. The main clinical waiting rooms will be enlarged and modernized. Academic office space will then be identified and prepared for the additional faculty members who will be joining us in the coming two years. As always, we are indebted to the Health System for supporting our growth. The MCG Thy roid Center Celeb rates 5 Ye a rs MCG has a rich tradition of outstanding thyroid surgery dating to the era of Arlie Mansberger (former Chair of Surgery). It was natural, therefore, for this tradition to be culminated with the formation of the MCG Thyroid Center five years ago. This represented the seamless collaboration between several departments, including otolaryngology, endocrinology, pathology and nuclear medicine. Dr. Ted Chin has served as Medical Director of the center and Dr. Terris as Surgical Director. More than 800 thyroidectomies and 500 ultrasound guided needle biopsies have been performed since that time. A reception commemorating this milestone will be held in July.

8 Department of Otolaryngology Medical College of Georgia 1120 Fifteenth Street Augusta, Georgia ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Augusta, Georgia Permit No. 210 Minimally Invasive and Conventional Surgical Management of Thyroid and Parathyroid Disorders October 9-10, 2009 Augusta, Georgia Keynote Speaker Ernest Mazzaferri, M.D. Distinguished Guest Faculty David Goldenberg, M.D. W. Barry Inabnet, M.D. Virginia A. LiVolsi, M.D. Gregory W. Randolph, M.D. Robert C. Smallridge, M.D. David L. Steward, M.D. Program Chairs David J. Terris, M.D. and Paolo Miccoli, M.D. Register early. Participation in the Lab is limited. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery David J. Terris, MD, Chairman Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery Stilianos Kountakis, MD, Vice Chairman Rhinology and Sinus Surgery Jack C. Borders, Jr, MD Pediatric Otolaryngology Jimmy J. Brown, DDS, MD Head and Neck and Sleep Surgery Lori M. Burkhead, PhD, CCC-SLP Speech Language Pathology Achih H. Chen, MD Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Scott S. DeRossi, DMD Oral Medicine Lana L. Jackson, MD Head and Neck Surgery Frederick N. Klippert, MD General Otolaryngology Brian J. McKinnon, MD Otology and Neurotology Edward S. Porubsky, MD General Otolaryngology Gregory N. Postma, MD Laryngology and Swallowing Disorders /09