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logo designs
Meret Probst |
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Gallery
| PD Dr Nicolas Schmuziger und Professor Rudolf Probst... |
2008-02-26 |
 ...sind hier anlässlich der Antrittsvorlesung des neuen Privatdozenten in der Aula der Museen in Basel abgebildet. Wir gratulieren PD Dr Schmuziger und wünschen auch weiterhin viel Erfolg an der neuen Stelle des Co-Chefarztes in Liestal! |
| New Head of the University ORL Department in Basel and his staff meet the practicing otorhinolaryngologists on 26. of October 2006 in the "Sternen" |
2006-10-27 |
 Professor Markus Wolfensberger (center left, dark shirt) newly appointed Head of the Basel Department, invited members of ORL-BAL and all practicing ORL specialists of the Basel region for a introductional meeting, where his team members presented main points of their clinical and scientific activities. The meeting was held in the impressive setting of the medieval “Sternen” on the border of the Rhine. |
| Mr. Jeremy Lavy, FRCS, is Temporal Bone Course Director in Novi Sad... |
2006-10-27 |
 For our 2. Course in Temporal Bone Anatomy, to be held at the University ORL Department in Novi Sad, Serbia (Head Doc. dr Dragan Dankuc), on November 23. and 24.this year, we could win Mr. Jeremy Lavy, FRCS, from London. He is otosurgeon at the Royal National Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital and the University of London and is Head of the CI Programme there. We thank him sincerely for dedicating his free time, energy and knowledge, without any remuneration, for the benefit of the young generation of otosurgeons in Serbia. He is known to the colleagues there from his very interesting presentation on problems in CI at the videoconference, sponsored by the British Council in Beograd two years ago (see previous pictures, also on the Serbian Galerija). |
| Doctor Lukas Eberle, practicing ORL specialist from Brunnen... |
2006-07-26 |
 ..has joined the Förderverein. His main interest are temporal bone courses in Serbia, where he wants to participate allready this year. Lukas has partly trained in Aarau and also in South Africa and has ample experience in foreign aid - he regularly performs ear surgery in Nepal. Welcome, Lukas! |
| Francis Marchal, seen here at the Sialendoscopy Course in Geneva... |
2006-06-04 |
 ...at the International Sialendoscopy Center he has founded, while speaking on his favourite subject, interventional sialendoscopy. |
| An intense course in Sialendoscopy... |
2006-06-04 |
 ...was held at the Sialendoscopy Center in Geneva by its founder, PD Dr. Francis Marchal. Here you see how work is done on fresh pig's heads. We warmly recommend the courses there, see www.sialendoscopy.net. Francis Marchal, a unswerving philantropist as well as greatest global author-developer-teacher of sialendoscopy, has visited Beograd with us in the past, and we hope to organise a similar course in our TCO in the future. |
| Ardent helpers of our projects... |
2006-06-04 |
 ...are also Mr. Schaffner (left) and Mr. Galli,in charge of technical affairs at the University School of Dentistry in Basel. You see them here in their habitat, the mechanical shop in which they repair all that students might bend or break during work. They furnished the suction pumps and thus "saved the day" at the Temporal Bone Course in March, amongst other things. They are allways smiling, as in this photo, so we go to see them often! |
| Concentration at its peak... |
2006-05-03 |
 ...while live surgery is being transmitted into the auditorium. Most listeners have experience in FESS and find it very interesting to see new techniques and "how-I-do-it" tricks... |
| The Training Center for Otorhinolaryngology lives up to its name ! |
2006-05-01 |
 Seen here is Assistant Professor Andreas Leunig, demonstrating FESS on the screen at the Institute of Pathology and Legal Medicine of the host hospital, the Medical Military Academy in Beograd. For the second time in three years, trainees were able to hear lectures, train under direct supervision, as well as follow live surgery from the OR, thanks to newest technology put at our disposition by the sponsor (easily recognizable by the logos in the picture - we are very grateful for their assistance!) |
| Participants of the Course in FESS in Beograd with Assistant Professor Andreas Leunig from the ORL Department, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich... |
2006-05-01 |
 ...who was a patient, dilligent and affable teacher, as well as brilliant surgeon, as demonstrated during the video-transmissions of live surgery from the OR. It goes to mention, that the didactic capabilities of our Course Director recently brought him a prize for successful course presentation from the German ENT Society, so we did not expect less... |
| Course in FESS at the TCO in Beograd, with Ass. Prof. Andreas Leunig from the Klinikum Grosshadern in Munich as Course Director |
2006-05-01 |
 The Course was held on the 26. and 27. of April and was, according to evaluations of the participants, a full success. Lectures, hands-on training on preparations and live surgery were on the programme. Teachers from the Medical Faculty of the University in Beograd Prof. Ljiljana Janoševic and Ass. Prof. Ivica Penđer also participated in the programme. Seen here are organisers and supporters, from left to right: Ing. Danilo Melis from Karl Storz Company, Tuttlingen, maj. dr Milanko Milojević representing the host hospital, the Military Medical Academy in Beograd, Course Director Ass. Prof. Andreas Leunig, Doctor Jelena Sotirović, Secretary to the TCO, Professor Ranko Dergenc, President of the ORL Section of the Serbian Medical Society and Mr. Ranko Nikolić, representative of the Karl Storz Company in Beograd. |
| Professor R. Probst, President of ORL-BAL, Chairman and Director of the ORL University Department in Basel appointed in Zürich (read more under NEWS) |
2006-03-19 |
 Seen here is the parting photograph of the current Board of the ORL-BAL. Prof. Probst has accepted a new appointment as Director and Chairman at the Zürich University ORL Department. Ruedi Probst (far left) is seen here with long-standing friends and members of the Board, from left to right: Kurt Tschopp (Liestal), Silke Hasenclever (Olten), André Arnoux (Aarau), Mihael Podvinec (Aarau) and Markus Wolfensberger (Basel). Probst remains a memeber of the Society of Friends of ORL, Podvinec is taking over the presidency of ORL-BAL for one year. Activity plans of the ORL-BAL will remain unchanged. |
| A little tense, but ready to go... |
2006-03-13 |
 ...on the mornig of the first Course in Temporal Bone Preparation, the first hands-on educational event of this kind ever to be held in Serbia and Montenegro. Seen here are Maj. Doctor Milanko Milojevic, otologist of the host ORL Department (left), Professor Gerard O'Donoghue FRCS, Otology Consultant of the Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Great Britain. Beside him the President of the Swiss Society of Friends of ORL Professor Mihael Podvinec and Mr. Ranko Nikolic, of the main sponsor, the Karl Storz Company, Tuttlingen. |
| Jürg Biancone, a veteran humanitarian helper and a great friend... |
2006-03-13 |
 ...wisely reserved us a place on the car train overnight through Austria, as snow blizzards raged across Europe. With back traction and an empty van, we had enough troubles to cross the Hungarian Puszta as it was. A former Quartermaster Sergeant of the Swiss Army, he posesses uncanny organisational talents and immense patience besides being an eternal optimist - well you need this if you give humanitarian help to the Balkan coutries for as many years as he does. He just perfectly fits into this photograph, even the name fits, right ? |
| The donated instruments on their way to Serbia and Montenegro were loaded,... |
2006-03-13 |
 ...microscopes and light sources took up much of the space and there was little room for OR linen, a cherished addition to each transport. This time the Novi Sad ORL Department was on the recieving end, but generously gave some of the material to other Departments in need. We sincerely thank the Swiss communications company Swisscom ( Messrs Reto Jent and Pietro Belsito in particular) for putting the van to our disposition without charge for the second time in two years (without this great gesture, the expenses would be too extensive for our limited budget). And by the way: everything was unloaded and reloaded within four hours at the border customs to Serbia for control, a great job for the muscles! |
| Content faces after the videoconferencing session on otitis media at the British Council... |
2006-03-11 |
 ...for which many participants travelled extensively in order to participate. The intense panel discussion concerned standard procedures and different, still debatable clinical solutions to problems concerning otitis media with effusion, chronic otitis media and tympanoplasty, as well as treatment of cholesteatoma. The British Council, and especially Mrs. Ivana Vukovojac, are sincerely thanked for offering us the air time free of charge! |
| Introducing the drilling technique to the less experienced... |
2006-03-11 |
 ...Course Director Professor Gerard O'Donoghue implores the participants to have a light hand. For starters, the participants had to drill figures into a raw egg without opening the amniotic membrane (with the burr, not the diamond !). Luckily everyone succeeded well, the eggs remained whole and the organisers were spared of bills for dry cleaning. |
| Many screws had to be tightened and little repairs done, but... |
2006-03-11 |
 ...we did have an ardent helper, Mr. Ranko Nikolić, the Beograd representative of our main sponsor, the Storz Company, famed for its instruments and optical products. Thanks to Mr. Nikolić, last-minute excitement was considerably reduced, like in the case of the improvised plaster TB holders which were molded the eve before the course! We sincerely thank the Storz Company, Tuttlingen, and very specially its Director, Mrs. Sybill Storz, for supporting our knowledge transfer project staunchly from the beginning. Mrs Hannelore Griebsch, Area Admenistrator Eastern Europe, has also spent many hours supporting our organistion, for which we are very grateful. |
| Mr. Rolf Gloor, Chief of the Aarau Cantonal Hospital Laundry Department.. |
2006-03-11 |
 ...supplied us with all the surgical linen we could carry, after our hospital has renewed its whole surgical laundry system. The Departments in Novi Sad and the Clinical Center "Zvezdara" are on the recieving side this time. Many thanks to the hospital and Mr. Gloor, who is allways extremely helpful! |
| Mrs. Milanka Drenovak, Audiologist at the Royal National Throat, Nose & Ear Hospital in London... |
2006-03-11 |
 ...travelled to Belgrade to assist at the Founding session of the Working Group of Audiologists and Neurotologists. Being a native of the country, she is keenly interested in helping to establish new contacts between British and local experts, communicate personal experience and inform on British standards to interested parties. Networking is her thing, so keep up the good work, Milanka! (milanka@compuserve.com) |
| Part of the course consisted of condensed lectures, linking... |
2006-03-11 |
 ...clinical experience with anatomical facts,and were given by teachers of the three Universities in the country. Professors Radulović, Dragoslava Đerić and Dergenc from Belgrade spoke on the facial nerve, the anatomy of the middle ear cleft and OME respectively, whereas Professor Stanković form Niš and Lecturer Doctor Dankuc from Novi Sad (seen here) evoked problems of tympanoplasty and cholesteatoma. |
| Professor Milan Stankovic from Nis and Univesity Lecturer Doctor Dragan Dankuc from Novi Sad passionately discussed... |
2006-03-11 |
 ...problems in chronic otitis media with the Manchester colleagues and continue their discussion even after the session had long been terminated... |
| Recieving their certificates at the end of the TB Course ... |
2006-03-11 |
 ... allmost everybody is tired but smiling. The chance to drill for two days was seized with great application, and the participants had to be asked several times to terminate their work in order to participate in the closing session, on Friday at 19.00. |
| TB Course participants watch on screen or directly... |
2006-03-11 |
 ...while Course Director Professor Gerard O'Donoghue demonstrates the advantages of the "painting brush technique" in dissection work. As can well be seen, young and old alike are impressed ! Note also the newest equipment by Zeiss Opton, Oberkochen, put to our disposition by the factory for the course - we are very grateful to the Belgrade representative Mr. Vladan Milosavljevic for the great help he proferred, in spite of a serious case of (luckily "normal" type) influenza! |
| The main room for the TB Course... |
2006-03-11 |
 ...is very adequate and disposes of a good climatisation system. The Experimental Surgery Department work team of the host institution has done everything to make the work here agreeable. The dissection manual distributed to the participants is the standard publication of the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles, by Dr. Ralph A. Nelson. This manual is still considered to be the one of first choice for TB courses of this type. Kudos to you again, Ralph ! |
| The President of the ORL Section of the Serbian Medical Society... |
2006-03-11 |
 ...Professor Ranko Dergenc is seen here speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the TB Course and the Training Center for Otorhinolaryngology. To the right are the Swiss Ambassador Mr. Wilhelm Meier and the Director of the ORL Department of the Military Medical Academy, Col. Doctor Dušan Bijelić. |
| The Swiss Ambassador, Mr. Wilhelm Meier, was interested to see... |
2006-03-11 |
 ...our facilities and asked precise questions on the objectives of the course. A scientist-physicist himself previously to a change in career, he is quite experienced in development projects, having supervised a number of them in Asia and Russia in the past. He very clearly considers sustainability to be the key to success of projects of cooperation, and the organisers certainly agree. |
| The valiant group of audiologists and neurotologists... |
2006-03-11 |
 ...which decided to collaborate in the future to upgrade the role of their specialty in the ORL community is seen here, with Professor Mrs Ksenija Ribarić (center, in green).For several hours the goals of the new group were discussed and finaly established. A lot of work remains to be done. We wish them great success !
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| Very applied pupils with their tutor,... |
2006-03-11 |
 ...this was a permanent scene during all working hours throughout... |
| Videoconferencing at its best... |
2006-03-11 |
 ...where teams in Manchester and Belgrade face each other in an interesting panel discussion on chronic otitis media. Note the laptop on the Manchester screen, where pictures could be shown and directly transmitted to Beograd in excellent quality and screen-filling dimensions. Beside Mr. Richard Ramsden, FRCS, Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Manchester (far right), otology specialists Mr. Mike Rothera (paediatric otologist, second from right), Mr. Kevin Green and Mr. Michel Neeff from New Zealand (far left) were present. Differences in opinion were freely discussed for one and a half hours without anyone noticing the time, which speaks for itself about the intensity of the discussion. The colleagues in Beograd specifically asked their local moderator to express their sincere thanks to the whole Manchester team. |
| Our logo designer: Meret Probst |
2006-01-18 |
 Meret has designed all our emblems and thus has contributed to our "corporate image". Born in 1984, she has studied design in Basel, Switzerland, specialising in visual communication and product design. At this point in time, she is active also in interior architecture and industrial design. We are very happy with her various solutions for our emblems and sincerely thank this creative young woman for her voluntary cooperation. Music, reading and museums are her hobbies, as well as snowboarding. We wish her enough free time for her hobbies, lots of good snow this winter and further success in her profession! |
| ORL-BAL Symposium in Aarau , 12. 11. 2005 |
2006-01-09 |
 Friends, former and present team members and guests gathered for a symposium, organised by Phoniatrist Josef Sopko and Voice Therapist Mrs. Esther Walde, to the sixtyeth birthday of Mihael Podvinec, Chief of the local ORL Department. The programme was very varied and presented in-depth studies: the CEO of the hospital, orthopaedic surgeon G. Ruflin, developed a vision of the hospital’s future, describing a series of imminent changes of a fast-track development in the Swiss health service. The Aarau hospital has allready implemented a number of these changes in a pioneering effort. Philippe Monnier, of the Lausanne Department, reviewed 30 years of experience in the treatment of tracheal stenosis, demonstrating beautifully how acribic and persistent effort may lead to significant progress. He did not miss to mention which problems and perspectives remain for the following generations to solve, inciting the young to be persistent and creative.The President of ORL-BAL, Rudolf Probst, analysed the personality of the host, crediting him with a missionary engagement in matters of training, reputed to be somewhat authoritarian, but allways well-meant. The picture of a wise old crocodile rounded up his lecture, and was acclaimed by the trainees present – and also by the host, who promised to maintain this style. In a very moving gesture, the Basel team members presented Podvinec with a check for 5.000 Swiss francs as a contribution to the activities of the Society of Friends of ORL. Ranko Dergenc, President of the Serbian ORL Society, after introducing with a history of our specialty in Serbia, spoke on recent developments in his country, mentioned the different supporting projects by our organisation with gratitude and stressed the necessity of a countinuing support ot the SOF. André Arnoux, Associate at the Aarau Department, reviewed a 10-year experience in partial surgery of the larynx for malignancies, which he introduced and developed here. He proved that great efforts are allways rewarded, as the results showed a sizeable progress in comparison to formerly practiced classical methods, both in the oncological sense and the quality of life of the patients. Finally, Josef Sopko spoke on the fascinations of different voice registers to the human sense of hearing. A formidable speaker, he truly fascinated the auditorium, showing the first animated computerized analysis of voice formation of the larynx and by illustrating his point with musical examples of famous singers. A cello soloist concerto ended the symposium. Amog the present were Emeritus Professors Werner Wey and Bernhard Kellerhals, as well as Mrs. Renate Pfaltz, widow of former Basel Chairman Professor C.R. Pfaltz. |
| Interdisciplinary teams at work... |
2005-12-12 |
 PD Dr. David Holzmann, of the University ORL Department in Zürich, was invited by the Departments of ORL and Neurosurgery in Aarau to operate on a rare case of congenital malformation of the sphenoid - a bilateral open Sternberg canal with myelomeningoceles bilaterally, combined with a unilateral CSF leak. Dr. Holzmann has allready operated endoscopically several such cases in Zürich. The surgery was successful and our picture shows Dr Holzmann (right) and the neurosurgeon Prof. Landolt (seen from behind) during the operation. Interdisciplinary cooperation is a great priority of our Departments, and we envisage the introduction of endoscopic hypopituitary surgery in the near future to replace the classical trans-septal technique. |
| Doctor André Arnoux was invited to report on new methods |
2005-12-09 |
 of treatment for larynx carcinoma during the „ORL Week“ in Beograd. Questions from the audience concerned electroporation and photodynamic therapy... |
| PD Dr. Antje Welge-Lüssen lectured on new findings in olfactology |
2005-12-09 |
 during the „ORL Week“ in Beograd. This interesting topic was followed with great interest by the audience, which was surprised by some of the new facts, like the one shown on the slide...
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| The President of the local ORL Society, Professor Ranko Dergenc and his guest, member of the ORL-BAL Board, PD Dr A. Welge-Lüssen, |
2005-12-09 |
 who was invited to speak at the yearly „ORL Week“ between November 21. And 25., and also for the staff of the ORL University Department in Novi Sad. Furthermore, she had a lecture for the neurologists of the University Department in Beograd, where the discussion was very lively. Also, some interesting cooperation projects are planned, and she presented all three of her hosts with a complete „Sniffin‘ Sticks“ test battery . |
| Training Center for ORL: the host team |
2005-12-01 |
 Our Training Center is starting in February 06 ! The host team, the Chief of the ORL Department of the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade Col. Dušan Bijelić, MD (right) and Project Manager Maj. Milanko Milojević MD, are seen here during the ORL meeting in November. The first course will concern Temporal Bone Anatomy and Surgery, and our Course Director will be Professor Gerard O’Donoghue, FRCS, from Nottingham, Great Britain. Within the same week, a Audiology/Neurotology Work Group will meet for the first time at the same venue. |
| Society Board member Dr. André Arnoux ist host to Professor Rajko Jovic from Novi Sad |
2005-11-02 |
 Professor Jović was invited to the Symposium on tracheal
surgery, held from June 4. to 6. in Heidelberg. Our guest is an experienced tracheal surgeon, and interesting discussions were led with other experts in this field. Dr. Arnoux (right) and Professor Jović (center) are seen here with international authority on tracheal surgery Doctor Robert Cotton, from Philadelphia, USA.
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| Doctor Ljiljana Jovancevic meeting Professors Stammberger and Castelnuovo |
2005-10-31 |
 Our Society sponsored in part the visit of Doctor Ljiljana Jovancevic, rhinologist in Novi Sad, to the Eufos meeting in Rome,where she gave a presentation on treatment of epistaxis. The picture shows her with colleagues of renown. Dr Jovancevic writes us that the meeting was very instuctive and that she greatly profited from it. |
| Third course in FESS by Professor H. Stammberger in Graz, Austria, for members of the Serbian ORL Society, on August 23 and 24, 2005 |
2005-08-26 |
 Professor Stammberger has, for the third time, invited 30 surgeons form Serbia and Montenegro for a theoretical course in FESS. This time, he adressed the more experienced surgeons which have started FESS after his first visit to Belgrade in 2002. Endoscopic closure of CSF fistulas and pituitary surgery were demonstrated, the technique and pitfalls of these operations, as well as those in endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy, were largely discussed, as well as a number of general aspects of FESS. Our Society and the Storz Company have supported the event. Professor Stammberger donated his time and energy in his usual inspiring style, with a true firework of didactic brilliance. We thank him for his sustaining help to our partners in S.&M. and are looking forward to a next course in 2006. |
| Professor Wolfgang Pirsig prepares a patient for surgery... |
2005-07-26 |
 during the Course in rhinosurgery in Beograd,June 2-5 (see details under News) |
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...sind hier anlässlich der Antrittsvorlesung des neuen Privatdozenten in der Aula der Museen in Basel abgebildet. Wir gratulieren PD Dr Schmuziger und wünschen auch weiterhin viel Erfolg an der neuen Stelle des Co-Chefarztes in Liestal! 
Professor Markus Wolfensberger (center left, dark shirt) newly appointed Head of the Basel Department, invited members of ORL-BAL and all practicing ORL specialists of the Basel region for a introductional meeting, where his team members presented main points of their clinical and scientific activities. The meeting was held in the impressive setting of the medieval “Sternen” on the border of the Rhine. 
For our 2. Course in Temporal Bone Anatomy, to be held at the University ORL Department in Novi Sad, Serbia (Head Doc. dr Dragan Dankuc), on November 23. and 24.this year, we could win Mr. Jeremy Lavy, FRCS, from London. He is otosurgeon at the Royal National Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital and the University of London and is Head of the CI Programme there. We thank him sincerely for dedicating his free time, energy and knowledge, without any remuneration, for the benefit of the young generation of otosurgeons in Serbia. He is known to the colleagues there from his very interesting presentation on problems in CI at the videoconference, sponsored by the British Council in Beograd two years ago (see previous pictures, also on the Serbian Galerija).
..has joined the Förderverein. His main interest are temporal bone courses in Serbia, where he wants to participate allready this year. Lukas has partly trained in Aarau and also in South Africa and has ample experience in foreign aid - he regularly performs ear surgery in Nepal. Welcome, Lukas!
...at the International Sialendoscopy Center he has founded, while speaking on his favourite subject, interventional sialendoscopy.
...was held at the Sialendoscopy Center in Geneva by its founder, PD Dr. Francis Marchal. Here you see how work is done on fresh pig's heads. We warmly recommend the courses there, see www.sialendoscopy.net. Francis Marchal, a unswerving philantropist as well as greatest global author-developer-teacher of sialendoscopy, has visited Beograd with us in the past, and we hope to organise a similar course in our TCO in the future. 
...are also Mr. Schaffner (left) and Mr. Galli,in charge of technical affairs at the University School of Dentistry in Basel. You see them here in their habitat, the mechanical shop in which they repair all that students might bend or break during work. They furnished the suction pumps and thus "saved the day" at the Temporal Bone Course in March, amongst other things. They are allways smiling, as in this photo, so we go to see them often! 
...while live surgery is being transmitted into the auditorium. Most listeners have experience in FESS and find it very interesting to see new techniques and "how-I-do-it" tricks...
Seen here is Assistant Professor Andreas Leunig, demonstrating FESS on the screen at the Institute of Pathology and Legal Medicine of the host hospital, the Medical Military Academy in Beograd. For the second time in three years, trainees were able to hear lectures, train under direct supervision, as well as follow live surgery from the OR, thanks to newest technology put at our disposition by the sponsor (easily recognizable by the logos in the picture - we are very grateful for their assistance!)
...who was a patient, dilligent and affable teacher, as well as brilliant surgeon, as demonstrated during the video-transmissions of live surgery from the OR. It goes to mention, that the didactic capabilities of our Course Director recently brought him a prize for successful course presentation from the German ENT Society, so we did not expect less...
The Course was held on the 26. and 27. of April and was, according to evaluations of the participants, a full success. Lectures, hands-on training on preparations and live surgery were on the programme. Teachers from the Medical Faculty of the University in Beograd Prof. Ljiljana Janoševic and Ass. Prof. Ivica Penđer also participated in the programme. Seen here are organisers and supporters, from left to right: Ing. Danilo Melis from Karl Storz Company, Tuttlingen, maj. dr Milanko Milojević representing the host hospital, the Military Medical Academy in Beograd, Course Director Ass. Prof. Andreas Leunig, Doctor Jelena Sotirović, Secretary to the TCO, Professor Ranko Dergenc, President of the ORL Section of the Serbian Medical Society and Mr. Ranko Nikolić, representative of the Karl Storz Company in Beograd.
Seen here is the parting photograph of the current Board of the ORL-BAL. Prof. Probst has accepted a new appointment as Director and Chairman at the Zürich University ORL Department. Ruedi Probst (far left) is seen here with long-standing friends and members of the Board, from left to right: Kurt Tschopp (Liestal), Silke Hasenclever (Olten), André Arnoux (Aarau), Mihael Podvinec (Aarau) and Markus Wolfensberger (Basel). Probst remains a memeber of the Society of Friends of ORL, Podvinec is taking over the presidency of ORL-BAL for one year. Activity plans of the ORL-BAL will remain unchanged.
...on the mornig of the first Course in Temporal Bone Preparation, the first hands-on educational event of this kind ever to be held in Serbia and Montenegro. Seen here are Maj. Doctor Milanko Milojevic, otologist of the host ORL Department (left), Professor Gerard O'Donoghue FRCS, Otology Consultant of the Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Great Britain. Beside him the President of the Swiss Society of Friends of ORL Professor Mihael Podvinec and Mr. Ranko Nikolic, of the main sponsor, the Karl Storz Company, Tuttlingen. 
...wisely reserved us a place on the car train overnight through Austria, as snow blizzards raged across Europe. With back traction and an empty van, we had enough troubles to cross the Hungarian Puszta as it was. A former Quartermaster Sergeant of the Swiss Army, he posesses uncanny organisational talents and immense patience besides being an eternal optimist - well you need this if you give humanitarian help to the Balkan coutries for as many years as he does. He just perfectly fits into this photograph, even the name fits, right ? 
...microscopes and light sources took up much of the space and there was little room for OR linen, a cherished addition to each transport. This time the Novi Sad ORL Department was on the recieving end, but generously gave some of the material to other Departments in need. We sincerely thank the Swiss communications company Swisscom ( Messrs Reto Jent and Pietro Belsito in particular) for putting the van to our disposition without charge for the second time in two years (without this great gesture, the expenses would be too extensive for our limited budget). And by the way: everything was unloaded and reloaded within four hours at the border customs to Serbia for control, a great job for the muscles!
...for which many participants travelled extensively in order to participate. The intense panel discussion concerned standard procedures and different, still debatable clinical solutions to problems concerning otitis media with effusion, chronic otitis media and tympanoplasty, as well as treatment of cholesteatoma. The British Council, and especially Mrs. Ivana Vukovojac, are sincerely thanked for offering us the air time free of charge!
...Course Director Professor Gerard O'Donoghue implores the participants to have a light hand. For starters, the participants had to drill figures into a raw egg without opening the amniotic membrane (with the burr, not the diamond !). Luckily everyone succeeded well, the eggs remained whole and the organisers were spared of bills for dry cleaning.
...we did have an ardent helper, Mr. Ranko Nikolić, the Beograd representative of our main sponsor, the Storz Company, famed for its instruments and optical products. Thanks to Mr. Nikolić, last-minute excitement was considerably reduced, like in the case of the improvised plaster TB holders which were molded the eve before the course! We sincerely thank the Storz Company, Tuttlingen, and very specially its Director, Mrs. Sybill Storz, for supporting our knowledge transfer project staunchly from the beginning. Mrs Hannelore Griebsch, Area Admenistrator Eastern Europe, has also spent many hours supporting our organistion, for which we are very grateful. 
...supplied us with all the surgical linen we could carry, after our hospital has renewed its whole surgical laundry system. The Departments in Novi Sad and the Clinical Center "Zvezdara" are on the recieving side this time. Many thanks to the hospital and Mr. Gloor, who is allways extremely helpful!
...travelled to Belgrade to assist at the Founding session of the Working Group of Audiologists and Neurotologists. Being a native of the country, she is keenly interested in helping to establish new contacts between British and local experts, communicate personal experience and inform on British standards to interested parties. Networking is her thing, so keep up the good work, Milanka! (milanka@compuserve.com)
...clinical experience with anatomical facts,and were given by teachers of the three Universities in the country. Professors Radulović, Dragoslava Đerić and Dergenc from Belgrade spoke on the facial nerve, the anatomy of the middle ear cleft and OME respectively, whereas Professor Stanković form Niš and Lecturer Doctor Dankuc from Novi Sad (seen here) evoked problems of tympanoplasty and cholesteatoma.
...problems in chronic otitis media with the Manchester colleagues and continue their discussion even after the session had long been terminated...
... allmost everybody is tired but smiling. The chance to drill for two days was seized with great application, and the participants had to be asked several times to terminate their work in order to participate in the closing session, on Friday at 19.00. 
...while Course Director Professor Gerard O'Donoghue demonstrates the advantages of the "painting brush technique" in dissection work. As can well be seen, young and old alike are impressed ! Note also the newest equipment by Zeiss Opton, Oberkochen, put to our disposition by the factory for the course - we are very grateful to the Belgrade representative Mr. Vladan Milosavljevic for the great help he proferred, in spite of a serious case of (luckily "normal" type) influenza! 
...is very adequate and disposes of a good climatisation system. The Experimental Surgery Department work team of the host institution has done everything to make the work here agreeable. The dissection manual distributed to the participants is the standard publication of the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles, by Dr. Ralph A. Nelson. This manual is still considered to be the one of first choice for TB courses of this type. Kudos to you again, Ralph !
...Professor Ranko Dergenc is seen here speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the TB Course and the Training Center for Otorhinolaryngology. To the right are the Swiss Ambassador Mr. Wilhelm Meier and the Director of the ORL Department of the Military Medical Academy, Col. Doctor Dušan Bijelić.
...our facilities and asked precise questions on the objectives of the course. A scientist-physicist himself previously to a change in career, he is quite experienced in development projects, having supervised a number of them in Asia and Russia in the past. He very clearly considers sustainability to be the key to success of projects of cooperation, and the organisers certainly agree.
...which decided to collaborate in the future to upgrade the role of their specialty in the ORL community is seen here, with Professor Mrs Ksenija Ribarić (center, in green).For several hours the goals of the new group were discussed and finaly established. A lot of work remains to be done. We wish them great success !
...this was a permanent scene during all working hours throughout...
...where teams in Manchester and Belgrade face each other in an interesting panel discussion on chronic otitis media. Note the laptop on the Manchester screen, where pictures could be shown and directly transmitted to Beograd in excellent quality and screen-filling dimensions. Beside Mr. Richard Ramsden, FRCS, Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Manchester (far right), otology specialists Mr. Mike Rothera (paediatric otologist, second from right), Mr. Kevin Green and Mr. Michel Neeff from New Zealand (far left) were present. Differences in opinion were freely discussed for one and a half hours without anyone noticing the time, which speaks for itself about the intensity of the discussion. The colleagues in Beograd specifically asked their local moderator to express their sincere thanks to the whole Manchester team. 
Meret has designed all our emblems and thus has contributed to our "corporate image". Born in 1984, she has studied design in Basel, Switzerland, specialising in visual communication and product design. At this point in time, she is active also in interior architecture and industrial design. We are very happy with her various solutions for our emblems and sincerely thank this creative young woman for her voluntary cooperation. Music, reading and museums are her hobbies, as well as snowboarding. We wish her enough free time for her hobbies, lots of good snow this winter and further success in her profession!
Friends, former and present team members and guests gathered for a symposium, organised by Phoniatrist Josef Sopko and Voice Therapist Mrs. Esther Walde, to the sixtyeth birthday of Mihael Podvinec, Chief of the local ORL Department. The programme was very varied and presented in-depth studies: the CEO of the hospital, orthopaedic surgeon G. Ruflin, developed a vision of the hospital’s future, describing a series of imminent changes of a fast-track development in the Swiss health service. The Aarau hospital has allready implemented a number of these changes in a pioneering effort. Philippe Monnier, of the Lausanne Department, reviewed 30 years of experience in the treatment of tracheal stenosis, demonstrating beautifully how acribic and persistent effort may lead to significant progress. He did not miss to mention which problems and perspectives remain for the following generations to solve, inciting the young to be persistent and creative.The President of ORL-BAL, Rudolf Probst, analysed the personality of the host, crediting him with a missionary engagement in matters of training, reputed to be somewhat authoritarian, but allways well-meant. The picture of a wise old crocodile rounded up his lecture, and was acclaimed by the trainees present – and also by the host, who promised to maintain this style. In a very moving gesture, the Basel team members presented Podvinec with a check for 5.000 Swiss francs as a contribution to the activities of the Society of Friends of ORL. Ranko Dergenc, President of the Serbian ORL Society, after introducing with a history of our specialty in Serbia, spoke on recent developments in his country, mentioned the different supporting projects by our organisation with gratitude and stressed the necessity of a countinuing support ot the SOF. André Arnoux, Associate at the Aarau Department, reviewed a 10-year experience in partial surgery of the larynx for malignancies, which he introduced and developed here. He proved that great efforts are allways rewarded, as the results showed a sizeable progress in comparison to formerly practiced classical methods, both in the oncological sense and the quality of life of the patients. Finally, Josef Sopko spoke on the fascinations of different voice registers to the human sense of hearing. A formidable speaker, he truly fascinated the auditorium, showing the first animated computerized analysis of voice formation of the larynx and by illustrating his point with musical examples of famous singers. A cello soloist concerto ended the symposium. Amog the present were Emeritus Professors Werner Wey and Bernhard Kellerhals, as well as Mrs. Renate Pfaltz, widow of former Basel Chairman Professor C.R. Pfaltz.
PD Dr. David Holzmann, of the University ORL Department in Zürich, was invited by the Departments of ORL and Neurosurgery in Aarau to operate on a rare case of congenital malformation of the sphenoid - a bilateral open Sternberg canal with myelomeningoceles bilaterally, combined with a unilateral CSF leak. Dr. Holzmann has allready operated endoscopically several such cases in Zürich. The surgery was successful and our picture shows Dr Holzmann (right) and the neurosurgeon Prof. Landolt (seen from behind) during the operation. Interdisciplinary cooperation is a great priority of our Departments, and we envisage the introduction of endoscopic hypopituitary surgery in the near future to replace the classical trans-septal technique.
of treatment for larynx carcinoma during the „ORL Week“ in Beograd. Questions from the audience concerned electroporation and photodynamic therapy...
during the „ORL Week“ in Beograd. This interesting topic was followed with great interest by the audience, which was surprised by some of the new facts, like the one shown on the slide...
who was invited to speak at the yearly „ORL Week“ between November 21. And 25., and also for the staff of the ORL University Department in Novi Sad. Furthermore, she had a lecture for the neurologists of the University Department in Beograd, where the discussion was very lively. Also, some interesting cooperation projects are planned, and she presented all three of her hosts with a complete „Sniffin‘ Sticks“ test battery .
Our Training Center is starting in February 06 ! The host team, the Chief of the ORL Department of the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade Col. Dušan Bijelić, MD (right) and Project Manager Maj. Milanko Milojević MD, are seen here during the ORL meeting in November. The first course will concern Temporal Bone Anatomy and Surgery, and our Course Director will be Professor Gerard O’Donoghue, FRCS, from Nottingham, Great Britain. Within the same week, a Audiology/Neurotology Work Group will meet for the first time at the same venue.
Professor Jović was invited to the Symposium on tracheal
surgery, held from June 4. to 6. in Heidelberg. Our guest is an experienced tracheal surgeon, and interesting discussions were led with other experts in this field. Dr. Arnoux (right) and Professor Jović (center) are seen here with international authority on tracheal surgery Doctor Robert Cotton, from Philadelphia, USA.
Our Society sponsored in part the visit of Doctor Ljiljana Jovancevic, rhinologist in Novi Sad, to the Eufos meeting in Rome,where she gave a presentation on treatment of epistaxis. The picture shows her with colleagues of renown. Dr Jovancevic writes us that the meeting was very instuctive and that she greatly profited from it. 
Professor Stammberger has, for the third time, invited 30 surgeons form Serbia and Montenegro for a theoretical course in FESS. This time, he adressed the more experienced surgeons which have started FESS after his first visit to Belgrade in 2002. Endoscopic closure of CSF fistulas and pituitary surgery were demonstrated, the technique and pitfalls of these operations, as well as those in endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy, were largely discussed, as well as a number of general aspects of FESS. Our Society and the Storz Company have supported the event. Professor Stammberger donated his time and energy in his usual inspiring style, with a true firework of didactic brilliance. We thank him for his sustaining help to our partners in S.&M. and are looking forward to a next course in 2006.
