LABS & COURSES | Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery

In the Temporal Bone Lab, residents work at four operative stations to learn the complex anatomy of the temporal bone and the ear at the base of the skull.

“Otologic and skull base neuro-otologic surgery requires repetitive drilling of temporal bones to understand and gain expertise in operating in one of the most difficult areas in the body,” said Cherie-Ann Nathan, MD, FACS, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Department Chair. “Developing a state-of-the-art temporal bone lab positions LSU Health Shreveport to invigorate residency training for our residents and fellows to hone their skills prior to operating on patients.”

Gale Gardner, MD, Professor and Clinical Specialist of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and Director of Neurotology at LSU Health Shreveport, is one of the premier otologic surgeons in the country and can be credited for his tireless efforts to upgrade the training environment for residents. Dr. Gardner leads the residency program at LSUHS that will utilize the new lab. Each surgical station will feature operating room-grade equipment to make training exercises as realistic as possible. Dr. Gardner has trained nearly 40 residents over the past few years alone, and many current residents have shown interest in going into otology/neuro-otology fellowships.

The new equipment in the Temporal Bone Lab was received through a donation in August of 2020 by Stryker, one of the world’s leading medical technology companies. Based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the company offers innovative products and services in Orthopaedics, Medical and Surgical, and Neurotechnology and Spine that help improve patient and hospital outcomes. 

The hand-on laryngeal dissection course is a biannual course sponsored by ForeTec laser company.  The half day course includes 6 hands on stations during which students, residents and fellows have the opportunity to practice laryngeal microsurgery, laser ablation of lesions with CO2 and blue lasers, vocal fold injection medialization and framework surgery on porcine larynges. For this inaugural year Dr. Andrew McWhorter, Professor of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at our sister institution LSU Baton Rouge was our guest speaker, discussing surgical management of unilateral vocal fold paralysis.