Atlas of Operative Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery (Volume-1): Otology and Lateral Skullbase Surgery
Education is a great responsibility; equally so for the teacher and
student. Knowledge imparted during the trainee years forms the
foundation of a surgeon's clinical practice; most of the times
consciously, yet often at a subconscious level too. This takes more
importance during the development of surgical skills, where subtle
nuances give the edge, and discern the competent from the mediocre.
Skills honed by watching, reading, listening, watching more, and finally
performing take years to develop; and yet, the learning process never
stops. A surgeon stops learning only in his grave. It may take a
lifetime to develop certain skills, and a shorter period for others,
yet, each skill even once learned needs polishing and refinement-there
are no shortcuts to learning.
Times have changed. The field of ENT has undergone a remarkable
transformation over the past two decades. With the development of
excellent technology, have emerged comparable educational tools. From
the time when we were resident trainee doctors, to today, numerous
avenues have emerged for the enthusiastic student. Yet, there are times
when one needs to travel and visit numerous centers in one's lifetime to
observe and learn, with most centers imparting specialist training of
certain skills, but usually never all of them.
This atlas has been the birth-child of a need for a single-stop for
surgical skills in the field of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck
Surgery, including all its allied faculties, in an attempt to bring a
global perspective under one roof. It has its limitations, and is
certainly not exhaustive; yet it aims to spur the interest of the reader
for most procedures, with a reference for further suggested reading if
needed. The emphasis is on surgical technique, and most chapters would
thus focus on this aspect mainly.
The video atlas which will soon follow would be an added tool to
recapitulate each surgical procedure, as if watching it in real time!
