REPORT NEWSROUND 3rd Dubai Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Conference 2015 DATE 21-23 October 2015 VENUE Mohammed Bin Rashid Academic Medical Centre, Dubai Health Care City, UAE REPORT BY Dr Ricardo Persaud and Dr Ahmad Alamadi, Consultant ENT Surgeons, Al Zahra Hospital Sharjah and Al Baraha Hospital Dubai, respectively. VIEW GALLERY T he 3rd Dubai Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery Conference and Exhibition, under the patronage of HE Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Health, UAE, took place at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Academic Medical Centre in Dubai Health Care City from the 21-23 October 2015. The event attracted over 400 delegates and 31 prominent speakers from all over world, including the President of the British Otology Society, Richard Irving FRCS. The scientific programme consisted of special and keynote lectures, round table and panel discussions, instructional workshops, a free paper session, radiology masterclass and a video clip session on ‘How I do it.’ This year, the event was organised in collaboration with the 7th Arab Academy of Otology and Cochlear Implant (AOOCI). Therefore, key aspects pertaining to cochlear implants, including recent developments and challenging surgical cases, were covered by experts from various parts of the world: Drs Ravi Ramalingam (India), Faheem Tadros (UAE), Abdulrahman Hagr (KSA), Hassan Wahba (Egypt), Hammad Mondy (UAE), Ammar Al Lawati (Oman) and Jamal Kassouma (UAE). In addition, the Chairman of the Conference, Dr Ahmad Alamadi took the opportunity to start a debate on establishing a set of minimal standards for cochlear implant centres, hoping to reach a consensus from the AOOCI community. One of the key attractions of the conference 6 was the advanced vestibular workshops, which witnessed the participation of a large number of students, general physicians, audiologists, specialists and surgeons in the field of otology, neurology and skull base surgery. The hands-on training workshops included important topics such as dizziness and vertigo management, video nystagmography and bi-thermal calorics. The conference was inaugurated by HE Dr Hussain Al Rand, Assistant Under-Secretary for Health Centres and Clinics with the Ministry of Health, UAE. Dr Al Rand, who is also a consultant ENT surgeon, was keen to emphasise that, “The decision of choosing Dubai, as the city to host this conference reflects the global confidence in the ability of Dubai and the UAE to host such international meetings. It also confirms the prestigious reputation of the United Arab Emirates, which has been achieved, thanks to the continuous efforts of our wise leadership who are keen to promote and enhance the healthcare sector in the UAE. This sector is also receiving much attention by the government of the UAE in order to preserve the health of both citizens and residents.” The conference was followed with the traditional three-days hands-on cadaveric workshops at Sharjah Surgical Institute, Sharjah University, covering all aspects of basic and advanced temporal bone dissection, tympanomastoid and inner ear surgery as well as functional endoscopic sinus surgery. ENT and Audiology News | www.entandaudiologynews.com