What's Going On in Your Neck of the Woods?
Ophthalmology
Bruce Barron, MD, professor of ophthalmology, served on the program committee and
as president of the New Orleans Academy of Ophthalmology and presided over the 69th Annual Symposium earlier this year. The symposium was entitled “Vision Beyond 2020: Gearing Up With Advances in Cataract and Refractive
Surgery, Retina, and Uveitis.”
Orthopaedic Surgery
Department Head Dr. Zura has kept up with basketball star Seth Curry over the years, operating on him once in college and again in the NBA. Now a standout guard for the Dallas Mavericks, Seth hasn't forgotten the people who helped on his journey. After the Mavericks bested the Pelicans, Seth stopped by to pay Dr. Zura a visit, delivering him a signed jersey.
Associate Professor of Clinical Orthopaedics Dr. Christopher Marrero recently joined
Fox News 8 and Liz Reyes to Discuss Joint Health. You can watch the interview here
https://www.fox8live.com/video/2019/12/23/joint-health/
Otolaryngology
Dr. Larissa Sweeny was appointed as an adjunct professor with the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Pathobiological Sciences.
Drs. Albert Kong, Rahul Mehta, and Michael Dunham presented the poster, “Automated Classification of Video-Otoscopy Using Convolutional Neural Networks” at the 2020 Triological Combined Sections Meeting in Coronado, CA in January.
Drs. Erica Jackson-Mayland and Larissa Sweeny presented the poster, “Assessing Patient Understanding of the Human Papilloma Virus and Barriers to Vaccination” at the 2020 Triological Combined Sections Meeting in Coronado, CA in January.
Drs. Larsen, Olejniczak, Lacey Adkins, Blouin, Andrew McWhorter, and Melda Kunduk presented the poster, “Comparison of Injection Procedures for Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia”at LSUHSC-New Orleans Medical Student Research Day in January.
Drs. Jessica Shields, Isaac Erbele, and Frank Culicchia presented “Hearing preservation and facial nerve function after hearing preservation surgery for acoustic neuromas” at the Louisiana Neurosurgical Society in New Orleans in January.
Dr. Melda Kunduk presented a case at the pre-conference for speech pathologists at the Fall Voice Conference in Dallas, Texas.
Drs. Amin, Howell, Bonilha, and Kunduk were on the Bolus and Globus with the Experts panel moderated by Julie Barkmeier-Kraemer at the Fall Voice Conference held in Dallas, Texas.
Drs. Larson, Vansant, Shivers, McWhorter, Blouin, and Kunduk presented the poster, “The Relationship of Salivary Characteristics & Taste during Radiation for Head & Neck Cancer” at the American Speech and language Association (ASHA) Convention held recently in Orlando FL.
Dr. Rohan Walvekar was the invited speaker and served the organizing committee for the 2nd International Salivary Endoscopy Conference in Dubai earlier this year.
Dr. Hamilton Farris presented “Sexual Dimorphism in Vision: A Neuroethological Approach to Hormones, the Retina, and Visual Processing” at the LSU School of Medicine Dean's Research Seminar Series.
Dr. Larissa Sweeny presented Microvascular Balance: Academics & Home How to Make Free Tissue Transfer Cost Effective at the Microvascular Symposium at the American Academy of Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery recent annual meeting in San Diego, CA.
Dr. Larissa Sweeny founded the Sweeny Research Laboratory focusing on preclinical and translational research of head and neck cancer immunology and metabolism.
Drs. Vaitaitis, Nuss, and Hernandez presented "Endonasal Resection of the Cartilaginous Eustachian Tube with Nasoseptal Flap Closure for Refractory CSF Fistula Following Previous Mastoid and Middle Ear Obliteration" at the North American Skull Base Society Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.
Dr. Isaac Erbele presented “Vestibular testing and decision making,” and “Four handed surgeon technique” at the North American Skull Base Society Meeting in San Antonio, Texas last month.
Dr. Isaac Erbele presented “Vestibular testing and vestibular schwannomas” at the Temporal Bone Course at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX last month.
Drs. Erbele, Mankekar, and Arriaga presented the poster, “Management of cholesteatoma and tegmen dehiscence: complexities and nuance” at the North American Skull Base Society Meeting in San Antonio, Texas last month.
Dr. Robert Peden performed oral cancer screening exams for more than 50 employees at MMR in Baton Rouge earlier this year.
Drs. Erbele, Fink, Mankekar, Son, Arriaga, and Mehta will present “Endoscopic cartilage tympanoplasty is not inferior to microscopic cartilage tympanoplasty” at COSM: Trio in Atlanta, GA in April.
Dr. Erbele will present the poster “Preoperative caloric testing is a poor predictor
of postoperative dizziness” at COSM: Trio in Atlanta, GA in April.
Pediatrics
Drs. Ryan Pasternak and Michael Brumund took part in the Special Olympics' Geaux Over the Edge recently by rappelling down Benson Tower. Participants were asked to step into the shoes of Special Olympics athletes by facing their fears and trying something that doesn't come easy. It takes the same amount of courage to go “over the edge” as it does for individuals with intellectual disabilities to participate in sports.
Dr. Sarah Dumas announced she will serve as the associate medical director for Louisiana Medicaid, and will have joint appointments in the department of medicine, section of community and population medicine as well as the LSUHSC Center for Healthcare Value and Equity. The majority of her time will be focused on providing strategic leadership around key initiatives related to continuous quality improvement, population health, and heath equity, including the integration and implementation of social determinants of health screening, and integration of community health worker support into Medicaid-funded care. She will also continue caring for general pediatric and adolescent patients at the Kids First TigerCARE clinic and participate in resident and medical student education.
Dr. Maria Velez was invited by the AAP, SOHO and ASPHO societies to serve on a pediatric hematology/oncology policy work group named Coagulation Disorders Work Group. She will serve a three-year term that began on January 1, 2020.