The Chair of Otolaryngology
The chair was established in 1983 as the second chair of Otolaryngology in Australia and was filled by William Gibson who came from England. The chair was a result of an anonymous gift of $250,000 matched by an equal amount from the Tyree Foundation. Almost $90,000 was also raised by the Otolaryngological Society of Australia and the Tyree Foundation gave a further $20,000 per annum for the first four years. The job description states that the chair would also have a senior lecturer and a research fellow. Unfortunately, the original funding was soon exhausted in 1989 and the senior lecturer position was withdrawn. The research fellow position was withdrawn in 1993. In 1995 the secretarial position ceased, and the secretarial salaries, technician salary and office expenses are now provided from private practice earnings. The basic salary for the professor is now derived from an oncology bequest which previously supported Professor Stephens and it has been made clear that this funding will be returned to surgical oncology on the retirement of Professor Gibson.
Despite the financial restraints, achievements have been possible. The EAR Foundation has been established at the University of Sydney and currently raises over $1,000,000 per annum. The combined adult and children’s cochlear implant centres have been established at The Old Gladesville Hospital (SCIC) and further centres have been established in Newcastle and Canberra. Over 1700 people have received cochlear implants. There are currently 32 staff supported by various sources. SCIC, the University of Sydney and the affiliated hospitals have been involved in core implant research in two past CRCs and are waiting for University permission to embark on a third CRC. Research is mainly clinical. Our particular interest in electrophysiology and SCIC is widely recognised as the world leader on electric auditory brainstem responses. The Asia Pacific Conference on Cochlear Implants and related sciences (APSCI) was hosted at Darling Harbour in 2007 and attracted over 800 delegates.
The other main research interest has been Meniere’s disease. New methods of evaluating the condition using electrocochleography have led to studies supporting a drainage theory causing the attacks of vertigo.
The role of senior lecturer has been filled on many occasions by visiting fellows. In particular, the Graham Fraser Memorial Foundation has sent outstanding fellows from the UK over the past 12 years. Dr Halit Sanli, employed by the Cochlear Implant programme, has been an outstanding electrical engineer developing equipment and techniques for recording electrical brainstem potentials. The Garnet Passe Foundation Board have supported several graduates who have undertaken research for the Master of Surgery degree at the University. Current students are Dr Joanna Walton, Dr Claire Iseli and Dr Narinder Singh.
The teaching of undergraduates has been difficult recently as the current vogue for SCORPIO is difficult to fulfil as most ENT surgeons are VMOs. They either have to donate their time or claim VMO sessional pay from the hospital. SCORPIO is very labour intensive compared with the older lecturing methods and it is difficult to cover the syllabus adequately. A recent dinner was held with the Dean and it was decided to attempt SCORPIO and several leading surgeons will visit Westmead Hospital where the most successful ENT SCORPIO is held.
Over 250 papers have been published by Professor Gibson or under his supervision since taking the chair.
During the remaining five years that the present chair will exist, the research components situated at the cochlear implant centres at Gladesville will be expanded. The topic of auditory neuropathy is currently attracting interest and the electrophysiological techniques established can be used to explore this subject. Electrophysiological methods of monitoring inner ear surgery will be studied, for example, using electrocochleography during stapedectomy surgery. A postgraduate research fellow has been appointed (Dr Daniel Brown) who is currently in the USA but will return to work in a laboratory at the Medical Foundation. He is funded by the NSW Meniere’s Research Foundation. He will oversee new projects, both in clinical and basic research fields. Ethical permission has been obtained to study MRI techniques to visualise Reissner’s membrane using intratympanic gadolinium.