First course in sonography of the neck and salivary glands with FNAB training for otorhinolaryngologists, in Beograd, 29. – 30. January 2009

Doctor Jelena Sotirović, from the Military Medical Academy and Secretary of our „Training Center for Otorhinolaryngology“ in Serbia, has performed the formidable task of organising this two-day course, where 30 ORL specialists and maxillofacial surgeons were present.

The General Electric Healthcare company, through its local representative MD Imaging (Mr Dragoslav Vujasinović) was main sponsor of the event, providing four modern ultrasound systems for this occasion. Course Directors were Associate Professors Christoph Arens from the University ORL Department in Giessen, Germany, and Marcel Kraft, from the ORL Department of the Cantonal hospital in Aarau, Switzerland. Both being experienced in giving courses, they were a great success with the trainees. Local experienced tutors were a significant support: Profesor Rajko Jović, head and neck surgeon from Novi Sad, Associate Professor Dara Stefanović, radiologist of the host hospital, and Doctor Željka Tatomirović, cytopathologist, greatly contributed to the quality of the course. Special guest was Biomedical Engineer Efi Tsikou, who came in from Athens for this occasion and contributed through technical clarifications.

Doctor Ljiljana Čvorović, experienced otorhinolaryngologist from the Zemun hospital, prepared veal livers for hands-on training of fine needle aspiration biopsies, which were especially fascinating for a number of novices in this field. She was, together with the Swiss Society of Friends of ORL (ORL-BAL) the original initiator of this event, triggered by the fact that only few ORL specialists in Serbia practiced sonography examinations regularly up to date. Mrs Ognjanović, Member of the CME Board, was present and active during the whole course to ensure certification and supply us with fod and drink. In view of the great advantages of the ultrasound technique in the examination of the neck and salivary glands, we hope to influence its propagation by courses of this type in the future.