Participation of Otolaryngology in the North American Skull Base Society: A 10-Year Review

Background: Since its inception in 1989, the North American Skull Base Society (NASBS) has served as an essential scientific and clinical forum for the gathering and presenting of research and clinical findings within the field of skull base surgery. Traditionally the society and the field were dominated by neurosurgeons; however, as skull base surgery has evolved over the last 2 decades, skull base teams typically include multiple subspecialties including otolaryngology, ophthalmology, radiology, pathology, and both medical and radiation oncology. As these skull base teams have evolved, so has the society.

Objectives: To qualitatively and quantitatively describe the trend in participation of Otolaryngologists at the NASBS annual meeting over the past 10 years.

Study Design: Retrospective review.

Methods: Abstracts from the NASBS Annual Meeting from 2009 to 2018 were identified in the NASBS electronic archives or from the Journal of Neurologic Surgery, Part B. Inclusion criteria included abstracts accepted for oral presentations and submitted by an Otolaryngologist as senior author. Authors and institutions were recorded and abstracts were sub-categorized and analyzed.

Results: During the study period, 1,404 abstracts were accepted for oral presentations at the NASBS Annual Meeting Participation of Otolaryngologists increased from 22 accepted abstracts in 2009 to 67 in 2018. Average percentage participation of ENT across all years was 28.6%, ranging from 21.6% in 2009 to 32% in 2018. ENT senior authors were from 94 institutions and 14 countries. Primary data was included in 95% of the presentations with systematic reviews or meta-analyses accounting for the remaining 5%. Presentation topics varied and included the following: skull base malignancy (17%), CPA/lateral (14.3%), endoscopic endonasal/other approaches (13.8%), novel techniques (12.6%), reconstruction (11.4%), complications (9.1%), anatomy (6.9%), benign skull base (4.2%), pituitary (4.0%), patient centered quality of life outcomes (4.7%), and cost (2%).

Conclusion: The NASBS is a robust society with yearly meetings advancing and refining the field of skull base surgery. The recent emphasis on increased collaboration and team-centered approaches to patient care has facilitated increased participation of multiple specialties including Otolaryngology.

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