Report of the Activity of the
Fisch International Microsurgery Foundation for the Year 2009
The FIMF has pursued its activity according to the following lines:
- Organization of annual teaching courses in Zürich
- Promotion of 3 months clinical fellowships
- Assistance to courses promoted by Associated Centres
- Participation to national and international teaching meetings
- Production and distribution of teaching material
1. Annual Teaching Courses in Zurich
The following teaching courses were organized in Zürich by FIMF in the year 2009:
1. February 4 – 5, 2009
Sixth Introductory Course in Microsurgery of the Temporal Bone
This course was intended for residents or fellows in training and highlights basic otologic microsurgical techniques.
Course Directors: Prof. Thomas Linder and Ugo Fisch
The ENT Faculty was formed by Dr. Ch.Schlegel (Lucerne), Dr.A. Mudry (Lausanne) ,Dr. M. Scherler (Zürich), Dr. A. Gmür (Chur) and Dr. P. Kwok (Regensburg, D )
The Location was the Department of Anatomy, University of Zurich ( Dir. Prof. O. Ullrich )
The 12 Participants came from: Switzerland (8), Germany (3) and Italy (1).
2. June 23 – 26, 2009
Microsurgery of the Skull Base – Eighteenth Practical Course
3. June 27 – 30, 2009
Advanced Microsurgery of the Temporal Bone (Otology) – Eighteenth Practical Course
For each of these last two courses only twelve to fourteen participants were accepted to optimise teaching and supervision.
The Skull Base Course covered the lateral skull base approaches A-D, the transotic approach to the cerebellopontine angle and the middle cranial fossa approach. The different microsurgical procedures were practiced on specially prepared cadaver heads. The working stations in the dissection laboratory of the Anatomy Department were fully equipped with Leica operating microscopes, Bien- Air Surgery drills, M. Stäubli aspiration equipment and the newest surgical instruments provided by Karl Storz Tuttlingen.
The Advanced Course in Otology was for experienced otologists and included practicing microsurgical procedures on temporal bones (e.g. open and closed cavity techniques, myringoplasties, ossiculoplasties, incus- and malleus-stapedotomy, cochlear and middle ear implant surgery ).
Course Directors were Prof. Ugo Fisch, Zürich and Prof. Thomas Linder, Lucerne.
The ENT Faculty was formed by Prof. Michel Gleeson, U.K., Mr. John Hamilton U.K., Prof. John May USA, Prof. R. Posada Colombia, Prof. F.Trabalzini Italy, Prof. Xia Yin, Beijing China, Dr. Andre Ataide BR, Dr. Rolien Free NL, Dr. Giovanni Ralli Italy, Dr. Marcin Szymanski Poland, Dr.E.Monsell, USA.
The Anatomy Faculty consisted of Prof. O. Ullrich, Dr. M. Manestar and Dr. M. Vich (Anatomy Department of the Universitiy of Zürich).
The Participants came from: Brazil, U.K., Denmark, Canada, China, Finnland, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and Viet Nam.
More information on the annual FIMF Courses is available on the FIMF Homepage (www.fimf.ch).
2. Fellowships
The following doctors were awarded with a FIMF fellowship during the year 2009:
- Machado Juliana Altavilla van Petten, Belo Horizonte, BR (January – March)
- Nguyen Dai Quang, Hochimin City, Vietnam (April – June)
- Preto da Silva Daniela, Porto Alegre, BR (July – September)
- Hol Myrthe Karianne Sophie, Nijmegen, NL (October – December)
The FIMF has provided free housing in Luzern during the fellowship. The fellows had the possibility to observe the surgical activity of Prof. Th. Linder and his staff as well as of Prof. U. Fisch in Lucerne. They could also use the ENT Library, the Video-room, attend lectures and grand rounds and work in the temporal bone laboratory under the supervision of Prof. Linder and Prof. Fisch.
3. Activities of FIMF Divisions
3a Brazilian Division of FIMF
(Director: Dr. André Luiz de Ataide, Curitiba, Past Director: Prof. Dr. Decio Castro, Porto Alegre)
1. X Curso de Otologia da Fundação Internacional de Microchirurgia Fisch
no Brasil. 28 Setembro – 02 Outubro, 2009
Curitiba (Parana)
Report of Dr. Decio Castro, Past Director of the Brazilian Division of FIMF:
“The Tenth Course on Otologic Microsurgery of the Brazilian Division of FIMF organized by Dr. Andre Ataide in Curitiba from September 28 to October 2, 2009 was a great success. André Ataide took care of every detail and set up an excellent Program. The Theoretical Module of two days duration, was mainly covered by Professor Thomas Linder, who, in a heavy schedule, gave magnificent lectures covering the principal aspects of middle and inner ear surgery. As it is usual for the School of Zürich, detailed original contributions to Otology were presented.
Lectures were also given, in order of presentation, by Yasser Jebahi, Rodrigo Posada, Decio Castro, Andre Ataide, Mauricio Buschle, Rodrigo Pereira, Vinicius Barbosa and Gustavo Isolan.
The Hospital Santa Cruz, where the theoretical part of the Course took place, is a first class Institution, similar to Hospital Moinhos de Vento of Porto Alegre.
The Auditorium is large and comfortable. The electronic and computerized equipment had no fails. Prof. U. Fisch lecture by tele-conference was very much appreciated. The 3D projection worked very well and was a tremendous contribution to the didactic aspect of the presentations.
The second Module with Temporal Bone Laboratory dissections was organized with 12 workstations in a large new room of the Santa Casa Hospital of Curitiba. Each workstation was equipped with a D.F. Vasconcelos Microscope and with a set of Fisch micro-instruments offered by Strattner, the representative of Karl Storz in Brazil.
A special announcement was made concerning the license given by ANVISA for the use of the Fisch Titanium Prostheses in Brazil. The license has been obtained thanks to the continuous efforts of Dr. Krishnamurti Sarmento in Rio de Janeiro.
The Course had 93 Participants in the Theoretical Module coming from different parts of the Country and 12 Participants in the Practical Module. Eleven former FIMF fellows worked as Tutors and a total of 35 people (including the Organizers) helped in the dissections.”
2. Otologic training in Curitiba
Dr. Andrè Ataide has further developed his program of training for young otologists based on the principles and techniques of the Fisch School of Otology. He has also continued to organize local courses and to write papers concerning the FIMF techniques.
3b Colombian Division of FIMF
(Director: Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Posada, Pereira)
1. Teaching
Prof. Posada has continued his intense teaching activity organizing FIMF dissection courses in his home town and participating to many courses, workshops and ENT Meetings in Peru and Argentina. His admirable collection of temporal bone specimens illustrating the steps of the microsurgical techniques of the FIMF school are finding increasing interest in South America.
The temporal bones donated by Prof. Posada to the Anatomy Department of the Zürich University are prepared for a permanent exhibition and regularly used during the FIMF courses on microsurgery of the ear. Some of his Temporal Bones were presented in the Exhibition : Ear and Microscope which took place from Sept. 25, 2009 to Sept. 12 ,2010 at the Museum of Medical History of the University of Zürich.
2. Books
The 2nd edition of the book: Tympanoplasty, Mastoidectomy, and Stapes Surgery, by U.Fisch, John May and Thomas Linder, Thieme 2008, which includes a new section on Imaging for Temporal Bone Surgery, was translated in Spanish by R. Posada and is at present in publication in Colombia.
3c Indian Division of FIMF
(Directors: Dr. Ashim Desai and Dr. Ashesh Bhumkar, Mumbai)
No special activities were presented.
3d Chinese Division of FIMF
(Director: Prof. Zheng-Min Wang, Head of ENT Department of the Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai).
Teaching
1. Prof. Dr. Zheng-Min Wang
Prof. Zheng-Min Wang has completed the translation of the 2nd edition of the book: Tympanoplasty, Mastoidectomy, and Stapes Surgery, by U.Fisch, John May and Thomas Linder, Thieme 2008 in Chinese. The Chinese edition should be out beginning 2010.
2. Ass. Prof. Dr. Yu-Cheng Wang
Dr. Yu-Cheng Wang has also contributed to the translation of the 2nd ed of the book on Tympanoplasty, Mastoidectomy, and Stapes Surgery, by U.Fisch, John May and Thomas Linder, Thieme 2008 in Chinese.
He is continuing to teach the FIMF techniques at the Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital of Fudan University (Head: Prof. Dr. Zheng-Min Wang).
3. FIMF Temporal Bone Dissection Laboratory
The Temporal Bone Dissection Laboratory of the Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital of Fudan University which is dedicated to the Fisch International Microsurgery Foundation was used for dissection courses demonstrating the FIMF techniques of microsurgery of the Ear and Skull Base.
3e USA Division of FIMF
(Director: Prof. John S. May, Winston Salem, North Carolina)
Dr. John May has given various dissection courses for residents in his temporal bone laboratory at Wake Forest University. He has also taken part in local and regional workshops with hands-on demonstration of the FIMF techniques.
4. Special Activities of FIMF
Exhibition on
”Microscope and Ear: The Way to Microsurgery”
organized by Prof. Ugo Fisch, PD Dr. Albert Mudry and Prof. Christoph Mörgeli, Museum of History of Medicine of the University of Zürich
Sept. 25, 2009 – Mai 31, 2010 – prolonged to Sept. 12, 2010.
This exhibition sowed the steps involved in the appearance of the operating microscope. Particular emphasis was placed:
- on the dramatic changes induced by the introduction of the OPMI 1 in 1953 by the firm Carl Zeiss which led through the dedication of Horst Wullstein, Fritz Zöllner and Luzius Rüedi to the development of Microsurgery of the Middle Ear and
- on the inspiring work of William House, Gazi M. Yasargil and U.Fisch which has led in the sixties and seventies (thanks also to the technical help given by the firms: Contraves Oerlikon , Wild-Leica, Bien Air Surgery SA, F.L. Fischer Freiburg i.Br., Leibinger Freiburg i.Br. and Karl Storz Tuttlingen) to the introduction of Microsurgery of the Skull Base.
5. Production of Teaching Material
The illustrated Guidelines for temporal bone dissection by U. Fisch and Thomas Linder produced by Karl Storz Tuttlingen which are available in Chinese-, German-, Greek-, Italian-, Polish-, Spanish-, and Turkish-Language were also translated in French- (by Dr.Christian Deguine, Lille, F) and Portuguese-Language (by Dr.Krishnamurti Sarmento, Rio de Janeiro, BR).
6. Sponsoring
As for the past we are very grateful for the generous donations made by numerous private sponsors in support of our Foundation.
We also acknowledge with deep gratitude the help received by the following companies :
- Karl Storz GmbH & Co, Tuttlingen, Germany for providing instruments and prostheses for our dissection courses in Switzerland and abroad. This help exceeds commercial relations and has contributed to improve the care of patients with ear and skull base diseases throughout the world.
- Bien-Air Surgery SA, Biel, Switzerland for providing the drill-systems for our courses and for developing a new hand piece needed for the precise microsurgical bone work in the middle ear and skull base.
- Leica Microsystem AG, Heerbrugg, Switzerland for supplying their best microscopes for our yearly dissection courses.
- M. Stäubli, Horgen, Switzerland for furnishing their excellent aspiration equipment and, therefore, contributing so much to the success of our yearly dissection courses.
- Coclear TM for the generous sponsoring of the material needed for practising cochlear implantation
- Solvey Pharma AG, Lucerne Switzerland
- Essex Chemie AG, Lucerne Switzerland
7. Conclusions
Also 2009 the interest for the teaching activities of FIMF in Switzerland and abroad has not diminished. The FIMF practical microsurgical courses in Zürich were booked six months in advance. The requests of FIMF Fellowships in Lucerne have produced a waiting list until 2013.
Prof. Thomas Linder with the entire staff of the ENT Department of the Cantonal Hospital of Lucerne dedicate a lot of time and effort in the instructions of the FIMF fellows.
Prof. Oliver Ullrich and his staff of the Anatomy Department of the University of Zürich (particularly Dr. M. Vich and Dr. M. Manestar) have continued the generous support in the organisation of the yearly practical courses.
The directors of the various divisions of FIMF deserve a special mention and a lot of gratitude for their loyal and efficient help in realizing the aims of the Foundation in their respective countries.
Dr. Decio Castro has expressed the desire to step back after eleven years of loyal and admirable leadership of the Brazilian Division of FIMF. He has bin an active supporter of the Zürich School of Otology since 1967. His pioneering work in microsurgery of the skull base in South America is documented by the Sixth International Symposium on the Facial Nerve which he has perfectly organized October 2 – 5 1988 in Rio de Janeiro. He will continue to work for FIMF as Past Director of the Brazilian Division of FIMF supporting in this way the activity of the new Director, who is Dr. Andre Ataide of Curitiba. Our great gratitude goes to Dr. Ataide, who has demonstrated an impressive organizational efficiency in putting on the Tenth Course on Otologic Microsurgery of the Brazilian Division of FIMF in his city Sept. 28 – Oct. 2 2009.
As in the past we are also grateful to the many FIMF Fellows who spend a lot of personal efforts in favour of the Foundation and help forming a continuously growing international FIMF family.
Prof. U. Fisch, President of FIMF
Zürich, September 29, 2010
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