The World of Otolaryngology: From Noisy Breathers to Poor Feeders

Seeing an Otolaryngologist, or Ear, Nose, & Throat Surgeon, can be daunting to many families. Under the Otolaryngology umbrella, there are various subspecialists who provide expert care in their respective fields. This presentation will dive deeper into the niche realm of “Airway Surgery”. We will discover how the field began, routine problems encountered, their management, and future innovations on the horizon. We will also analyze feeding from an Otolaryngology perspective: the tests performed, diagnosis encountered, and the multidisciplinary factors which are essential for optimizing the success of our patients.

Please note this event is taking place at 6:30 pm Central Standard Time, and will be held virtually via Zoom. Registration will close one hour prior to the event start time at 5:00 pm Central Standard Time. The meeting link will be sent to registrants via email on the day of the event when registration closes at 5:30 pm. Please check your spam folder as our emails occasionally end up there.

This course has been submitted for credit with the Illinois Early Intervention Program. Those who have paid for a professional ticket and are in attendance for the duration of the full event will receive a certificate of attendance for credit. Those who registered for a student ticket will also receive a certificate, however these will not be eligible for CEUs.

*Tickets Available:

Parent/Caregiver

For those who are caring for a child who is learning to eat.

Student

For those who are working on degrees in a profession related to pediatric feeding; certificates not for professional development credit.

Professional

For those who work in an area related to pediatric feeding and are seeking professional development credits (SLP, OT, Dietician, SW, Nurse, etc.)

Staff

For staff members of the Chicago Feeding Group

Affiliate

By invitation only; for official affiliates of the CFG 

*If you are registering/paying for more than one person, please include their name and email.

Taher Valika, MD, is a pediatric otolaryngologist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. 

He received his medical degree from The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University and completed his residency in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at The University of Illinois Hospital of Health & Sciences. Dr. Valika then completed a fellowship in Pediatric Otolaryngology at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, and subsequently joined the division as a member of the Airway Team, where he is the Director of Upper Airway Surgery.

His academic expertise is in pediatric airway reconstruction and managing complex sleep related airway disorders. Dr. Valika’s clinical interests obstructive sleep apnea, complex airway stenosis, dysphagia, and tracheostomy management. His research focuses on innovation including 3D printing for airway reconstruction.

Dr. Valika is involved in both medical student and resident education and has received numerous teaching awards over the years. He is the resident site director for the University of Illinois at Chicago and Northwestern Otolaryngology residency programs.