Register Now for the
2022 AHNS Annual Meeting

Register now for the AHNS 2022 Annual Meeting at COSM, to be held April 27-28, 2022 in Dallas, TX. The scientific program has been thoughtfully designed around the meeting theme “Technology and Innovation”. See below for the Endocrine Section Panels and Debates titled “To Operate is Human, to Ablate is Divine? A Debate About Ablation of Thyroid Lesions” and “Can You See What I See? Finding Parathyroids and Autofluorescence”.

PLEASE NOTE: AHNS Pre-Course registration is separate from the Annual Meeting Registration. For more details go to https://www.ahns.info/meetings/

Register for the Annual Meeting!

To Operate is Human, to Ablate is Divine? A Debate about the Ablation of Thyroid Lesions
Thursday, April 28th at 3:15pm-4:05pm

The ablation approach has moved to the current forefront of approaches for benign, and even some small malignant thyroid lesions. Is ablation a fad, a temporizing strategy, or will it replace many open surgical procedures on the thyroid? Following a brief introduction of the technology, endocrine surgery experts will debate the use of ablative technologies on benign thyroid lesions and microcarcinomas.

Objectives:
1. Recognize the development of ablative technologies and their potential for application to common thyroid pathologies.
2. Appraise the potential benefits of an ablative option for common thyroid pathologies.
3. Select patients and thyroid pathologies best suited for an ablative approach.

Schedule of session topics:

• Introduction – Michael Singer, MD
• An Introduction to Radio Frequency Ablation – Nishant Agrawal, MD
• Surgery vs. Ablation for Thyroid Lesions:
  • Benign Lesions
    • Pro – Ralph Turano, MD
    • Con – Marika Russell, MD
• Microcarcinomas
  • Pro – Jon Russell, MD
  • Con – Maisie Shindo, MD

Can You See What I See? Finding Parathyroids and Autofluorescence                                            Thursday, April 28th at 4:05pm-5:00pm

The discovery of parathyroid gland autofluorescence was a significant advance in understanding of its physiology. Recently, this phenomenon has been leveraged to improve identification of parathyroid glands intraoperatively and is now clinically available. Parathyroid autofluorescence has been extended to gland protection during primary and revision thyroid surgeries and may be value added in parathyroid directed procedures.

Objectives:
1. Articulate the concept of parathyroid autofluorescence.
2. Recognize the morbidity, mortality, and cost of iatrogenic hypoparathyroidism.
3. Formulate the possible integration of autofluorescence in your thyroid surgical practice.

Schedule of session topics:

• Introduction – Brendan C. Stack Jr., MD
• Parathyroid Preservation and the Prevention of Hypoparathyroidism – Brendan C. Stack Jr., MD
• Which Autofluorescence System: Camera vs. Probe – Amanda Silver, MD
• Indocyanine Green and Parathyroid Angiography – Brooke Su-Velez, MD
• Parathyroid Autofluorescence and Surgery for Hyperparathyroidism – Julia Noel, MD
• Question & Answer – Brendan C. Stack Jr., MD

Dear AHNS Members,

On behalf of the AHNS TORS Leadership we are pleased to invite you to a free TORS Webinar on The Pandemic Papers: TORS Research and Practice Innovation, 2021-2022, taking place on Wednesday, April 20th at 7:00pm ET/6:00pm CT/5:00pm MT/4:00pm PT.

Zoom in to this interactive AHNS Webinar highlighting the papers and posters presented and published during the pandemic. During this unprecedented time, erratic work-schedules and surging clinical volumes made it challenging for the head and neck surgeon to keep up with the literature and virtual meetings. This webinar will highlight some of this important work that deserves a first (or second) look.

Learning objectives:
1. Highlight manuscripts published during the pandemic related to TORS and oropharyngeal carcinoma
2. Review the take home points from each of these manuscripts
3. Discuss opportunities for future innovation and collaboration across institutions

Join the Webinar:
This is a reminder to register to access the webinar. If you have already registered, we look forward to seeing you virtually!

AHNS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Division

I am honored and excited to be the inaugural chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Division, and am happy to work with Dr. Melonie Nance as Vice-Chair. The Division includes the following services: International Advisory Service, Diversity Service, Young Members Service, Global Outreach Service, Women in HNS Service, Membership and Credentials Service. The mission of this Division is to advance Education, Research, Quality of Care, and Community Outreach for the head and neck oncology patients and clinicians with empathy, equity, and inclusion.

At the recent Executive Committee Retreat, we discussed many ways to broaden the reach of AHNS by increasing inclusion through the organization. From webinars to leadership appointments, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Division will champion transparency and advocate for processes to increase the breadth and depth of involvement of all members, including the pipeline to leadership.

This Division will continue to lead the AHNS Mentorship program which is open to all AHNS members. Exciting enhancements to the International Advisory Service are planned. We are also examining substantive changes to integrating our multidisciplinary colleagues in AHNS. After all, our head and neck cancer patients are treated by a multidisciplinary team, our fellows are taught in a multidisciplinary clinical environment, and thus, AHNS is striving to be more multidisciplinary as well, while preserving our history of surgeons’ founding this society.

We are also looking to update the mission/values statement to align with its vision. It’s an exciting time to enhance many of the great things that AHNS 2.0 is already doing, and we are grateful to the AHNS leadership for this opportunity. More to come, and please contact Dr. Nance or me if you have comments and/or suggestions.

Amy Y. Chen, MD, MPH

AHNS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Division Chair

[email protected]

Melonie Nance, MD

AHNS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Division Vice-Chair

[email protected]