Overview
The European Sleep Surgery Academy (ESSA) was founded by international recognized European sleep physicians with an extraordinary expertise in sleep surgery in cooperation with Neuwirth Medical Concepts. The intention of ESSA is to provide innovative therapeutical solutions for ENT surgeons within Europe.
The field of surgical treatments of sleep-disordered breathing is emerging with a lot of ground-breaking innovation which will be focused in the Europe-wide events: the scope is covering the screening of proper candidates for specific non-CPAP treatments and the attempt to provide an insight in the current state of affairs on surgical treatment of snoring and OSA.
In 2023 1st European Sleep Surgery Academy Course was provided by the University and University hospital of Antwerp, chaired by Prof. Dr. Olivier Vanderveken.
Due to the extremely high interest and positive feedback we feel encouraged to continue this sucessfull event in 2024 and offering 2nd ESSA from october 17th to 19th 2024 in cooperation with the University of Valencia. With most current topics and interesting practical exercises, also in the dissection room, the scientific faculty, chaired by Marina Carrasco-LLatas provides high-level scientific and practical knowledge.
OUR UPCOMING EVENTS
2nd ESSA-Course
Oct 17th – 19th 2024
at the Universidad de Valencia
Previous Events
Faculty
Prof. Dr. Olivier M. Vanderveken, MD, PhD
Prof. Dr. Olivier M. Vanderveken, MD, PhD, is a full-time ENT,Head and Neck Surgeon at the Antwerp University Hospital where he is appointed as the Chair of the Department. He holds a position as Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Antwerp.
His main research projects are in the area of sleep-disordered breathing. His research is focusing in particular on pathophysiological assessment of upper airway collapse including phenotyping, drug-induced sleep endoscopy, treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and upper airway surgery including hypoglossal nerve stimulation and transoral robotic surgery. In the past, he has been awarded several national and international scientific awards.
Olivier Vanderveken holds a Senior Clinical Investigator Fellowship at the
Research Foundation Flanders (FWO).
Marina Carrasco-Llatas, MD, PhD, AP
Dr. Carrasco-Llatas works as a Consultant and Assistant Professor of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Dr. Peset University Hospital and at IMED Hospital in Valencia, Spain. Her main research topic is Obstructive Sleep Apnea. She focused mainly on research in drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE). She was one of the heads in the European position paper on DISE.
Dr. Carrasco-Llatas is the author or co-author of over 100 articles, book chapters and abstracts. She has participated as an invited speaker at national and international conferences. Furthermore, she is a reviewer for different prestigious ENT magazines.
She was the former president of the commission of SBD of the Spanish ENT Society (SEORL-CCC), founder member of the Spanish Sleep Medicine Federation (FESMES), Board member of the European Academy of Sleep Medicine (EA-SM) and member of the International Sleep Surgery Society (ISSS), and the Iberoamerican Sleep Surgical Society (SIBECS).
Prof. Dr. Clemens Heiser, MD, PhD
Clemens Heiser is an ENT, Head and Neck surgeon at the Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, where he is also leading the sleep laboratory.
He was one of the early adaptors of hypoglossal nerve stimulation in the clinical routine. Further research projects are in the area of sleep-disordered breathing – especially the development of diagnostic and
therapeutic tools. Clemens Heiser has been awarded in the past for several national and international scientific awards.
He is one the key opinion leaders in the field of neurostimulation in the upper airway. Further interests are the pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea.
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Sommer, MD
Prof. Dr. J. Ulrich Sommer, MD, is a full-time ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon at the Technical University Munich and the ENT-Center Mangfall-Inn. Furthermore, he holds a position as Professor at the University of Heidelberg, Faculty of Medicine in Mannheim.
Prof. Dr. Sommer graduated from University of Heidelberg in 2008. He received his doctoral degree in 2010 and was appointed tosenior lecturer in 2013. He gained his professorship in 2016 and lead the ENT-Department of the University Hospital Wuppertal beginning in 2018. Since 2020 he is working at the Technical University in Munich to continue his research and is furthermore working at the ENT-Center Mangfall-Inn. His research focus lies on sleep medicine in general and in hypoglossal nerve stimulation and soft palate surgery in particular. His activities lead to over 150 publications in peer reviewed journals, guidelines and books.
Prof. Dr. med. Joachim T. Maurer, MD
Prof. Dr Joachim T. Maurer MD is an internationally recognized expert for the treatment of sleep disorders, in particular obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. He is Director of the Division of Sleep Medicine at the University Hospital in Mannheim, University of Heidelberg. Dr. Maurer is a primary investigator in several clinical trials for all available Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation Systems since 2009 as well as other innovative treatments. He has authored numerous original research articles, review articles, and book chapters on OSA and snoring. He regularly appraises sleep disorders centers, is examiner for applicants in sleep disorders specialisation, and course director “Diagnosis and treatment of sleep disordered breathing” and “Surgery for sleep disordered breathing”. For twelve years he supports and launches an ENT-Department with residents’ training in the District Hospital of Ruli, Rwanda.
Prof. Dr. Nico de Vries, MD, PhD
Nico de Vries is ENT specialist at OLVG West Hospital Amsterdam, the Netherlands. His special interest is diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in adults, in particular alternatives to CPAP.
Research topics include Drug Induced Sleep Endoscopy, Implants, OSA surgery, Positional Therapy, Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation, Combined Treatments, OSA and bariatric surgery, OSA and Anesthesia, OSA and
biomarkers. Since 2014 he is guest professor at the University of Antwerp, Belgium and since 2016, professor of Dental Sleep Medicine, dept oral kinesiology, ACTA, Amsterdam.
According to Research Gate, his H-index is 47. He has > 300 publications in international and national peer reviewed journals, > 70 book chapters and > 300 presentations.
Dr. Carlos O’Connor Reina MD, PhD
Dr. Carlos O’Connor Reina MD, PhD is a full-time ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon at the Marbella and Campo de Gibraltar Quironsalud Hospitals where he si appointed as the Co-Chair of both Departments. He is former Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Seville. He is accredited as expert somnologist by the ESRS and the SES.
His main research projects are in the the area of sleep disordered breathing. His interest is based in the área of proper phenotyping OSA patients based in the functional assessment. He is pioneer in telemedicine myofunctional therapy and establishing guidelines in selecting the ideal patient to treat with oropharyngeal exercises. He has been awarded with several national and scientific awards.
He is considered a prime investigator by the Quironsalud group and leads as main investigator several international essays focused in SDB.
Prof. Dr. Guillermo Plaza, MD, PhD
Prof. Dr. Guillermo Plaza, MD, PhD is Head of the Deparment of Otolaryngology. Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada & Hospital Sanitas La Zarzuela, Madrid, Spain.
He holds a position as Professor in Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spain.
Spanish Sleep Physician Accreditation
He has organized several courses on OSA in Spain and has been lecturer in the field at different national and international meetings. He is trained in in Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery with special interests in the field of rhinology, sleep apnea surgery and facial plastic surgery, his practice includes ample experience in both academic and private otolaryngology head and neck surgery. He has published several books on OSA and more than 20 peer-reviewed manuscripts in this field.
Prof. Dr. Maraví-Aznar
Dr. Maraví-Aznar works as a specialist in Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at the Hospital Universitario de Navarra (HUN) in Pamplona, Spain, where he is the head of the section of the RhinoLarynx. In addition, he is Associate Professor of Otorhinolaryngology in the Public University of Navarra and a member of the TRANSBIDE Multidisciplinary Technical Unit of the HUN.
His main activity focuses on head and neck surgery, voice pathology and dysphagia. His main area of work is endoscopic and microscopic transoral surgery.
He has organized several national and international voice and dysphagia courses. Author and co-author of articles, book chapters, consensus documents and books. He has participated as a guest speaker in national and international courses and conferences.
As a complementary activity related to the specialty, he has been working for several years on the anatomical 3D design of the Larynx and Pharynx.
Prof. Dr. Claudio Vicini MD, ENT, Neurologist, Audiologist
Dr. Claudio Vicini, MD, is a distinguished expert in ENT, neurology, audiology, and sleep medicine. With a background as an Associate Professor at the University of Ferrara and Bologna, he brings extensive academic , proficiency. His tenure as a Consultant at the Clinica Neurologica di Bologna, specializing in sleep surgery, underscores his clinical acumen. Dr. Vicini’s contributions extend to leadership roles, having served on the board of Associazione Italiana Medicina del Sonno (AIMS) and as its Probo Viro and Expert of Sleep Medicine.
Since 2016, he has been a valued member of the Global Faculty Board at Florida Hosp. Nicholson Center, driving advancements in medical education. Dr. Vicini’s expertise in Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) is evident through his six-year tenure as an Intuitive Europe Proctor. His commitment to addressing respiratory disorders during sleep is demonstrated by his involvement with the BOARD EOS Disturbi Respiratori in Sonno (DRS) since 2010. As the SIO Sleep Surgery Committee Coordinator since 2017 and a member of AIMS’ Clinical Research Scientific Board since 2019, Dr. Vicini continues to shape the landscape of sleep medicine. His co-authorship of influential papers, including the European DISE Position Paper in 2014 and 2017, and collaboration on the PDTA for OSA in Emilia Romagna in July 2021, highlight his dedication to advancing the field.
Marina Carrasco-Llatas, MD, PhD, AP
Dr. Carrasco-Llatas works as a Consultant and Assistant Professor of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Dr. Peset University Hospital and at IMED Hospital in Valencia, Spain. Her main research topic is Obstructive Sleep Apnea. She focused mainly on research in drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE). She was one of the heads in the European position paper on DISE.
Dr. Carrasco-Llatas is the author or co-author of over 100 articles, book chapters and abstracts. She has participated as an invited speaker at national and international conferences. Furthermore, she is a reviewer for different prestigious ENT magazines.
She was the former president of the commission of SBD of the Spanish ENT Society (SEORL-CCC), founder member of the Spanish Sleep Medicine Federation (FESMES), Board member of the European Academy of Sleep Medicine (EA-SM) and member of the International Sleep Surgery Society (ISSS), and the Iberoamerican Sleep Surgical Society (SIBECS).
Prof. Dr. Olivier M. Vanderveken, MD, PhD
Prof. Dr. Olivier M. Vanderveken, MD, PhD, is a full-time ENT,Head and Neck Surgeon at the Antwerp University Hospital where he is appointed as the Chair of the Department. He holds a position as Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Antwerp.
His main research projects are in the area of sleep-disordered breathing. His research is focusing in particular on pathophysiological assessment of upper airway collapse including phenotyping, drug-induced sleep endoscopy, treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and upper airway surgery including hypoglossal nerve stimulation and transoral robotic surgery. In the past, he has been awarded several national and international scientific awards.
Olivier Vanderveken holds a Senior Clinical Investigator Fellowship at the
Research Foundation Flanders (FWO).
Scientific Agenda
Impressions
PARTICIPATE
PARTICIPATION FEE
1.100 € p.P. w/o VAT
Participation Fee
including dissection training
- lectures
- model exercises
- workshops
- dissection training
Limited access only – not students and fellows
600 € p.P. w/o VAT
Regular Participation Fee
without dissection training
- lectures
- workshops
- model exercises
250 € p.P. w/o VAT
Students and fellows
without dissection training
- lectures
- model exercises
- workshops
