Special conference with international experts on the use of ultrasound in otolaryngology

In recent years, there has been a growing trend of sharing information regarding ultrasound as an acquired and required skill for those involved in otolaryngology and head-neck surgery, and to be more specific - for neck and thyroid ultrasound.

Dr. Galit Avior, a senior physician in Hillel Yaffe's Otolaryngology Unit and the organizer of the conference, is one of the leaders of the field in Israel. Under her leadership, the hospital has already held several expert training workshops in recent years. The objective of the conference held last week is the same as that of the workshops: to establish the foundation for a common language in use of the ultrasound device as well as training otolaryngologists and endocrinologists on how to perform ultrasound.

Two of the world’s leaders in the field led the conference together with Dr. Avior: Prof. Susan Mandel - an endocrinology and radiology specialist, who is president of the US Endocrine Society and is considered a leader in this field, and one of a very few specialists worldwide who write the guidelines for treatment and diagnosis of thyroid diseases. She was joined by Dr. Jill Langer, head of the Ultrasound Division at Perelman Hospital in Philadelphia, who has worked closely with Dr. Mandel for many years.

From right to left: Clinical Asst. Prof. Itzhak Braverman, Dr. Galit Avior, Dr. Jill Langer,
Prof. Susan Mandel and Dr. Ilana Duek

“For me, having you here is a dream come true,” said Dr. Avior, happily. “Ultrasound plays a very important role today as a diagnostic tool for otolaryngologists. There are more articles in the literature that indicate its effectiveness and the major advantage it offers when actually performed by the surgeon operating on the thyroid gland, and I believe that it's a skill surgeons in this field must have today. At Hillel Yaffe, there is wonderful cooperation between the Otolaryngology Unit, the Endocrinology Unit and the Imaging Unit in this regard, and our patients benefit significantly.”

During the conference, there were lectures given by specialists in otolaryngology, endocrinology and radiology. At the end of that part, the conference shifted to a practical workshop, in which 30 specialists participated. For several hours they practiced this skill and learned to identify how to identify and diagnose various pathologies.

Prof. Mandel and Dr. Langer demonstrating ultrasound of the thyroid gland at the conference