Our fellows regularly meet with the fellowship program director, division director, and other head and neck faculty to discuss relevant literature or other topics relating to advanced airway management and head and neck anesthesiology.
Fellows are encouraged to attend seminars related to clinical management and research in the areas of otolaryngology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and airway management. Additional didactic training includes:
- Weekly departmental Grand Rounds
- Weekly research seminar
- Ongoing didactic workshop program
- Society for Head and Neck Anesthesiology (SHANA) Conference
Fellows work closely with our surgical colleagues in the Department of Otolaryngology and Section of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, and enjoy the opportunity to attend weekly case and Tumor Board Conferences. This allows truly collaborative preparation and discussion for the cases ahead where anesthetic and airway planning can be optimized.
By the conclusion of the year fellows will be expected to have mastery of various airway management techniques and cases involving complex head and neck pathologies including:
- Awake Endoscopic Intubation and topicalization
- Perioperative use of high-flow nasal oxygen (THRIVE)
- Surgical airway access
- Optimal use of Video Laryngoscopy
- Use of Airway Exchange Catheters
- Thyroplasty
- Head and Neck Free Flap Reconstruction
- Subglottic Stenosis
- Jet Ventilation
- OSA Surgery
- Laryngectomy
- Tracheotomy
- Neck Dissection
- Orthognathic Surgery
- Head and Neck Trauma
- Sinus Surgery
- Cranial Base Surgery
- Laryngeal Surgery
- Head and Neck Cancer
- Cervical Spine Disease
General OR: Approximately 75% of fellowship time
Operating room commitments will amount to 3-4 days every week. During this time, the fellow will be responsible for supervising anesthetic care in one OTO, OMFS, or other operating room relating to airway management and/or head and neck surgical procedures on 1-2 days per week. The opportunity allows the fellow to focus on the details of the case, participate in the instruction of the resident, and allow consultation with additional faculty assigned to that room.
In addition, the fellow will continue to develop their skills as a general anesthesiologist by being assigned as faculty to two operating rooms or to non-OR settings, two days a week, with a bias toward head and neck and airway lists as the fellowship progresses.
Approximately 0.5 to 1 day per week
This opportunity allows collaboration with the otolaryngology service to assess patients preoperatively in order to develop an approach to their intraoperative management. This rotation throughout the year will allow the fellow to perform nasal flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy and learn about postoperative complications that many of the head and neck surgery patients experience. The fellow will also develop an understanding of the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of various head and neck pathologies seen in the operating room.
The fellow will also have involvement in various head and neck conferences including: Otolaryngology/OMFS Tumor Board, Otolaryngology Weekly Case Conference, airway simulation courses, and medical student airway assessment lectures and clinics. Dr. Steven Chinn is an assistant professor in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, and the contact faculty in the Department of Otolaryngology and assists in various aspects of the fellowship program.
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