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 Products Europe. 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 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 the 1st European Sleep Surgery Academy Course will be provided by the University and University hospital of Antwerp, chaired by Prof. Dr. Olivier Vanderveken.
OUR UPCOMING EVENTS
1st ESSA-Meeting
June 8th – 10th 2023 at the University of Antwerp, Belgium
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).
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. 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.
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.
