About

This is an intensive, one-day, practical training course specifically designed for head and neck surgeons. The course focuses on providing structured, hands-on experience in a wide range of commonly-performed head and neck procedures. These include, amongst others: Botox injection to salivary glands, Renu laryngoplasty, parotidectomy, submandibular gland dissection, neck dissection, laryngectomy, tracheostomy, and thyroidectomy.

Training will be delivered using unembalmed fresh frozen cadaveric specimens to closely replicate live surgical anatomy. These specimens provide realistic tissue texture and responsiveness, allowing optimal simulation of surgical techniques and anatomical dissection.

The surgical anatomy, indications, contraindications, technical steps, complications, and pre-operative planning considerations for each of the procedures will be discussed.

The trainees will work in pairs under the close supervision of consultant surgeons with substantial operative experience. A high faculty-to-trainee ratio ensures individualised feedback, safe instruction, and support throughout the training.

The following procedures will be demonstrated and practised:

• Botox injection to the parotid and submandibular glands for sialorrhoea
• Renu laryngoplasty
• Parotidectomy (superficial and deep lobe dissection with facial nerve identification)
• Submandibular gland dissection with preservation of lingual and hypoglossal nerves
• Selective and comprehensive neck dissection (levels I–V)
• Total and partial laryngectomy: exposure, resection, and closure
• Hemi- and total thyroidectomy
• Surgical tracheostomy

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, the trainee will be able to:

• describe the surgical anatomy, indications, and contraindications of common ENT procedures, including glandular, laryngeal, neck, and sinus interventions.
• perform pre-operative planning and anatomical marking, with appropriate consideration of incisions and access routes.
• demonstrate technical steps in a cadaveric model for parotidectomy, submandibular gland excision, laryngectomy, neck dissection, Renu laryngoplasty, thyroidectomy, and tracheostomy.
• identify and preserve critical structures such as the facial nerve, hypoglossal nerve, recurrent laryngeal nerve, and internal jugular vein during dissection.
• recognise common intraoperative challenges and anatomical variants, and adopt safe operative strategies in response.
• critically reflect on operative performance with a view to improve tissue handling, surgical planning, and anatomical precision in future clinical practice.

Target Audience:

• ENT/Head and Neck Registrars (ST3–ST6) or Equivalent-Level Surgeons

Course Duration:

One-Day In-Person Course