From 9 to 11 September 2026, Istanbul hosted the XXIII World Congress of Otorhinolaryngology, organised by IFOS – the International Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies. IFOS is a global, non-political organisation representing more than 50 000 otorhinolaryngologists from approximately 120 countries – an institution boasting a history spanning more than six decades.
Prof. Dr Nikolay Sapundzhiev, Head of the Department of ENT Diseases at UMHAT "St. Marina"–Varna and of TS ENT Diseases at MU–Varna, was invited by the Federation and the Union of the European Phoniatricians (UEP) to organise a panel session entitled "Laryngeal Pathology in Children". Among the distinguished invited lecturers were Prof. Dr. Stefan Matthias from Essen, Germany, from the institution where more than 80% of the cases of vascular malformations affecting the larynx and neck in Germany are being treated; and Prof. Romain Luscan from Necker Hospital – Paris, France – the principal French referral centre for this type of pathology and, at the same time, the country's oldest paediatric hospital.
The Department of ENT Diseases at UMHAT "St. Marina"–Varna, and the Medical University were represented at this major international Otorhinolaryngology event by Chief Assist. Prof. Dr. Lora Nikiforova, PhD, who delivered a presentation on the Department's extensive, long-standing experience in the management of laryngomalacia – a rare condition occurring in newborns. The entire panel attracted considerable interest from the very first day of the congress, prompting an intensive and substantive discussion between the panellists and the audience.
The participation of the Varna team in the congress represents a continuation of many years of sustained efforts to provide the highest standards of diagnosis and treatment for paediatric patients from across Bulgaria at the Department of ENT Diseases of UMHAT "St. Marina"–Varna. These efforts encompass the continuous adoption and implementation of the advances in surgical treatment, as well as the further development and enhancement of medical education for students at Medical University–Varna.
The annual representation of the Department of ENT Diseases of UMHAT "St. Marina"–Varna at major international scientific congresses further consolidates its standing as one of Bulgaria's leading Otorhinolaryngology centres. Part of the material presented by MU–Varna team on this subject was published only a few days ago in the scientific journal The Journal of Laryngology & Otology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42554003/
