Pediatric Airway Seminar: a high-level training in pediatric ENT at HUDERF
The pediatric ENT clinic of the Queen Fabiola University Children's Hospital (HUDERF), in collaboration with UZ Leuven and UZA, organized a new edition of the seminar dedicated to the management of pediatric airways
Tracheotomy in children
At HUDERF, on March 21 and 22, the management of pediatric airway disorders was at the heart of discussions. Organized in collaboration with UZ Leuven and UZA, this new edition of the Pediatric Airway Seminar brought together Belgian and international professionals around a topic that is both highly specialized and of vital importance: tracheotomy in children.
Participants had the opportunity to reproduce complex technical procedures under conditions closely resembling real clinical settings.
A technical procedure at the crossroads of multiple disciplines
Performed when a child can no longer breathe adequately through the upper airway, tracheotomy involves creating an opening in the trachea to insert a breathing tube. In pediatrics, this surgical procedure remains rare, yet essential. It requires the combined expertise of ENT surgeons, anesthesiologists, intensivists, and nursing staff, as it significantly impacts the daily life of the child and their family.
A two-part seminar: theory and practice
On Friday, March 21, an online session laid the theoretical and clinical foundations. Moderated by Dr. Oren Cavel (HUDERF), the session featured presentations by leading pediatric ENT specialists, including Professor Ari Derowe (Dana Hospital, Tel Aviv) and Professor Pierre Fayoux (CHU Lille).
The program explored the major issues in the field: neonatal indications, differences between tracheotomy and tracheostomy, intensive care follow-up, therapeutic alternatives, management of complex cases, rehabilitation in hospital or at home. The presentations were supported by concrete clinical cases, illustrating the diversity of real-world situations.
Immersion in real-life conditions: simulation as a training tool
The next day, Saturday, March 22, was dedicated to hands-on training. In the operating rooms of HUDERF, around twenty participants – ENT residents, intensive care and neonatology trainees – were invited to simulate the management of pediatric respiratory distress.
Supervised by a multidisciplinary team of trainers from HUDERF, UZ Leuven, UZA and other partner centers, participants were able to reproduce complex technical procedures in settings that closely mirrored clinical reality. Monitors, observers, and real-time feedback provided the tools necessary to reinforce appropriate reflexes and promote a collaborative approach to patient safety.
