Dubai, Feb 27th 2006 (WAM) - Under the patronage Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid,Director General of the Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS),the first 'International Course on Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery(FESS)' kicked off in Dubai at Rashid Hospital, where and for the firsttime in the country a live surgical dissection took place before 100 prominentear, nose and throat (ENT) physicians from Gulf area including also Iran,Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The dissections were conductedon thawed cadaver heads imported for this purpose, according to a pressrelease.
The course was organized by Dr. Hussein Abdul Rahman, head of Ear, Noseand Throat department - Dubai Hospital and co-sponsored by Medtronic andSchering-Plough under DOHMS, and was aimed at increasing awareness andskills in the local market about sinus surgery and the long term effectsof allergy. Dr. Abdul Rahman said that the live surgeries were very helpfulfor the doctors in the region as they did not have to fly for the US orabroad for the training session.
Schering Plough hosted lecture sessions lead by two international speakersDr. Elgan Davies and Professor Mohamed Zaki M. Helal. Dr.
Davies, a UK based consultant and ENT surgeon at Leighton Hospital, isSecretary and Council member of the British Rhinological Society, Councilmember of British Association of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck SurgeryRegional Specialty Education and Training Committee. Professor Davis commentedthat the course helped in the revision and reinforcement of the sinusanatomy in addition to the principles of sinus surgeries. The rotatingendoscope with different drills and plates that fit for different purposeswould help the doctors conduct sinus surgeries more effectively.Dr. Helal is a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine - Otolaryngology- at Shams University in Cairo. He is a member of several national societiesin Egypt. His fields of scientific interest include rhinology, facialsurgery and computer based educational presentations in Rhinology andRhino-septoplasty.
The course comes at a time when allergy related diseases in the regionare on the rise due to rapid industrialization and urban migration, peopleare becoming more exposed than ever to toxic pollutants and stress. Theincidence of nasal complaints of sneezing, nasal block and congestion,have been on the rise due to the above factors. Nasal allergy is foundto be present in more than 40% of general population.
There are mainly two patterns of nasal allergy- the persistent (previouslyknown as perennial) and the other more common one - intermittent or seasonalallergy. The usual symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis (AR) include recurrentearly morning sneezing, nasal stuffiness, watering, post nasal drip, itchingof nose and eyes and chronic cough. Several times these complaints areaccompanied by wheezing/ difficulty breathing, indicating allergic asthma.
