A two-year, ACGME-accredited Neurotology Fellowship Program is available every other year through the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The neurotology fellow works closely with three board-certified neurotologists and two skull base neurosurgeons in treating diseases of the temporal bone and skull base.

The operative experience occurs primarily at Zale Lipshy Pavilion – William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. The fellow will also have the opportunity to work at Parkland Hospital and Children’s Health℠. These facilities provide a broad experience in adult and pediatric neurotology including management of CPA and temporal bone tumors, auditory brainstem implantation, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, temporal bone trauma, cochlear implantation, pediatric skull base tumors, aural atresia, and complications of chronic otitis media. The fellow also will be involved with CyberKnife® and Gamma Knife® radiosurgery.

This fellowship provides a unique opportunity to learn basic and advanced endoscopic ear surgery and its application to chronic ear disease and lateral skull base pathology. Drs. Hunter, Kutz, and Isaacson utilize endoscopic ear surgery to manage a wide variety of conditions including tympanic membrane perforations, cholesteatoma, otosclerosis, middle ear tumors, petrous apex lesions, and acoustic neuroma. Drs. Isaacson and Kutz are members of the International Working Group on Endoscopic Ear Surgery (IWGEES) and have served as instructors and visiting professors at national and international meetings and courses. Dr. Hunter also utilizes endoscopic ear surgery for chronic ear disease, and stapedectomy.

Several unique aspects of the fellowship are the multidisciplinary neurofibromatosis type 2 program. Dr. Kutz collaborates closely with neuro-oncology, neurosurgery, plastics surgery, laryngology, and neuro-ophthalmology to treat these complex patients. UT Southwestern is the only program in the southern United States placing auditory brainstem implants and also treats a number of patients with Avastin. Dr. Isaacson leads a similar multidisciplinary team including laryngology, head and neck oncology, neurosurgery, genetics, endocrinology, radiation, oncology, diagnostic and interventional neuroradiology to manage a large population of skull base paraganglioma patients. Dr. Hunter leads our lateral skull base oncology program that includes head and neck oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, plastic surgery, neuroradiology, and neurosurgery.

A subspecialty curriculum provides the fellow with training in audiologic and vestibular testing, vestibular therapy, cochlear implant candidacy testing and mapping, adult and pediatric neuroradiology, neuropathology, and neuro-ophthalmology.

The didactic program consists of multiple interdisciplinary conferences including a monthly skull base conference, semimonthly skull base grand rounds, and two Friday conference days a year dedicated to otology and neurotology. The fellow meets weekly with the neurotology faculty for a journal club discussing articles related to recent cases.

There are multiple opportunities for teaching. The fellow often works with an otolaryngology resident, and teaches during our quarterly resident temporal bone lab. Also, the fellow participates as faculty during our annual regional temporal bone course.