June 22, 2006

 Ear surgery performed by inexperienced surgeons might lead to complications, writes Dr Kalimullah Thaheem

Deafness is a problem that is usually not given the attention it deserves since it is not easily noticeable. Approximately 35 per cent of the total population of Pakistan suffers from ear diseases. Some of them are conventionally curable, however, a large number of patients have chronic diseases which can only be treated with surgery.

Ear surgery is an extremely complicated and delicate procedure which is performed under the microscope. It requires trained surgeons equipped with sophisticated instruments. Surgery done by inexperienced surgeons only worsens the problem and leads to further complications. It is therefore necessary for the surgeon to get optimal training so that problems such as facial nerve paralysis, damage to tegmen tympany and sigmoid sinus rupture are avoided.

Unfortunately in our country such training is not available; as a result patients have to face a number of difficulties in getting the proper treatment. Keeping this need in mind, the Department of ENT, Civil Hospital, Karachi and Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) recently organised ‘Second Hands-on Temporal Bone Dissection Workshop and Ear Surgery Course’, under the supervision of Prof Jawaid Alam.

Expert ENT surgeons from different countries participated in the workshop. Prominent among the foreign delegates were Dr Bimal Kumar Sinha from Nepal and Dr G.V.S. Rau from India. The programme included hands-on temporal bone dissection, video presentations and live surgery for ear diseases, modified radical mastiodectomy, tympanoplasty, facial nerve dissection, cochlear implant, semicircular canal dissection and endolymphatic sac exploration.

Speaking on the occasion Prof Jawaid Alam discussed the problems faced by the organisers in the procurement of equipment. Four microscopes were purchased on emergency basis though gallop tender, while another four were obtained through donations. Micro drills, suction machines and sets of micro ear surgery instruments were also purchased for the workshop.

The participants, including postgraduate ENT trainees, praised the efforts of the organisers and said such workshops are a good alternative for courses and diploma studies which are too costly and unaffordable.

While concluding the workshop, the organisers announced that they would hold similar workshops in different areas of the ENT field and arrange camps in remote areas of Sindh. The Vice Chancellor of DUHS also gave an assurance of providing mobile units comprising an operation theatre, mobile beds and all surgical equipments, which will enable the medical staff to treat patients easily.

One hopes that this tradition will be maintained and more efforts will be made to introduce new and sophisticated developments in the field of ear surgery in Pakistan. The ultimate beneficiaries of this will be the common people who are deprived of quality health facilities because of financial constraints.

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