Published: November 30, 2020

Put Your Oxygen Mask on before Helping Others: The Importance of Wellness

Before taking off in an airplane, we have all heard this all-too-familiar safety message: a reminder to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others. As caregivers, we give much of ourselves to ensure the well-being of our patients. Our profession can bring stress. We bear witness to human suffering. The hours are long.

Carol R. Bradford, MD, MS, AAO-HNS/F President

Before taking off in an airplane, we have all heard this all-too-familiar safety message: a reminder to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others. As caregivers, we give much of ourselves to ensure the well-being of our patients. Our profession can bring stress. We bear witness to human suffering. The hours are long. Sometimes we wish we could offer more to patients and families who suffer from conditions when we do not have all the answers and cannot offer a cure. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we also may be putting ourselves in harm’s way as we offer life-saving care and treatment to those afflicted.

Carol R. Bradford, MD, MS AAO-HNS/F President

It is well recognized that the complexities and stress of the healthcare environment can compromise the well-being of the workforce. Further, we, as clinicians, are subject to increasingly time-consuming administrative activities. It can, at times, be more difficult to maintain a healthy work-life integration. Burnout and other mental and physical health concerns can be a direct result of these challenges.

One of my primary initiatives as your President is to focus on how to foster the wellness of our community. Dr. Dana Thompson is leading the work group focusing on wellness initiatives as part of our 125th Anniversary Giving Campaign, “Shaping Our Future Together: 125 Strong Campaign.” She, along with colleagues, will bring forward recommendations about what we, as a society, can do to foster the health and wellness of our members. There are a number of strategies that we can consider. These include:

Finding meaning and purpose in our work
Using our vacation time
Paying attention to our health
Incorporating a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise into our routines
Getting enough sleep
Developing and utilizing a robust social support network
Engaging in hobbies, which can be very therapeutic
Nurture the spiritual aspects of our lives

The pandemic has resulted in tremendous social isolation as well as financial challenges. Further, COVID-19 has highlighted health disparities within our society. Many people, including our patients, are experiencing increased fear and anxiety. Never has a clearer focus on the importance of wellness been more important. I encourage each of us to reach out to a colleague, a family member, or a friend. It may not be apparent, but they may be feeling stressed, unwell, or could simply use a helping hand. I encourage us all to offer words of support and a listening ear to colleagues, friends, and families. We all need each other to get through these challenging times.

More from December 2020/January 2021 – Vol. 39, No. 11

Pediatric

From the Education Committees

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common condition in children and one that most otolaryngologists are familiar with. Pediatric OSA has an estimated prevalence of 1%-4% in the United States.1 In most cases adenotonsillectomy (T&A) is the first-line therapy. About 500,000 of these procedures are performed annually in the U.S.

Tolerance2

Patient Safety and Quality Improvement

We had just finished the composite resection, and it was late in the evening as the case had gotten off to a later start. We were done with the case, the drapes were off, and I had just removed the anode tube to insert the cuffed tracheostomy tube. I pulled on the upper stay suture to pull the trachea into view and it immediately came loose—obviously the tracheal ring had been broken during its placement.

2020 Annual Report 01

AAO-HNS/F 2020 Annual Report

View the AAO-HNS/F 2020 Annual Report

Audiology

Advocacy Issue Brief: Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact

Several years ago the Council of State Governments (CSG) was asked to develop a model compact for allied health professionals, in this case, audiologists and speech-language pathologists. CSG is an organization committed to working with state officials to shape public policy and includes a program dedicated to developing interstate compacts.

CPT

New Category I CPT Codes for Sleep Surgery in 2022

At the October 2020 American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel meeting, the AMA accepted new Category I CPT codes for both hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGN) and drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE). These new codes will become part of the CPT code set in 2022. For CPT, ‘Category’ refers to the division of the code set. CPT codes are divided into three categories.

Jamal

Section Spotlight: Young Physicians Section (YPS)

The YPS kicked off an exciting new year of activities with an engaged and well-attended General Assembly at the AAO-HNSF 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting & OTO Experience, hosted by David S. Cohen, MD, our Immediate Past Chair. Dr. Cohen highlighted some of the YPS accomplishments from the last year, including extending the Academy’s reduced membership rate for early career otolaryngologists from one to two years and the introduction of travel grants for YPS members, which has been provided for the Section for Residents and Fellows-In-Training in years past.

Ghanem

Spotlight: Humanitarian Efforts – Tamer A. Ghanem, MD, PhD

The Spotlight on Humanitarian Efforts recognizes AAO-HNS members who are contributing their time and expertise to otolaryngologic patient needs around the globe. These individuals demonstrate integrity and devotion to humanity through a self-giving spirit. They are outstanding models to emulate in fostering a global otolaryngology community.

TravelGrant

Humanitarian Travel Grant: Cleft Care in Kijabe, Kenya

For the past 20 years, teams of otolaryngologists have provided continuous cleft care for patients in Kijabe, Kenya, through Samaritan’s Purse World Medical Mission and partnering with IAC-CURE Children’s Hospital and Smile Train.

Litvack

Section Spotlight: Women in Otolaryngology (WIO)

Nalini Nadkarni, PhD, a forest ecologist and tree canopy specialist and guest speaker at the WIO General Assembly, held during the AAO-HNSF 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting & OTO Experience, described the process of “disturbance and recovery,” which to me is a good summary of 2020—unexpected disturbances, feelings of loss and isolation, maybe a crisis of identity. However, these disturbances, while uncomfortable in the present, can lead to new consequences and a new state.

Denneny

Your AAO-HNS Community of Support: You Will Never Walk Alone

This year’s Annual Report provides us the opportunity to ruminate in amazement one of the most unpredictable and impactful years most of us will encounter. While experiences varied regionally, nationally, and internationally, we were all tied together by the disruptive healthcare issues, economic hardships, underlying social issues, and lack of consensus on how to deal with the pandemic itself.

Committee 02 01

Out of Committee: Endocrine Surgery Committee

Thyroid nodules are quite common and typically benign. Nonetheless they can be troubling in many ways to patients who then seek treatment, which often results in thyroid surgery. Thyroid surgery comes with some generally accepted risks, and quality of life may become significantly altered in several ways. The possible need for thyroid hormone supplementation or replacement is one of the major concerns for these patients undergoing surgery.