Mr. V. H. Oswal

MB, MS, FRCS, DLO, DORL

Emeritus  Consultant Ear Nose Throat & H&N Surgeon

James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough

 

 

 

 

Mr Vasant Oswal was appointed Consultant Otolaryngologist in 1969 to the ENT department which was located at the North Riding Infirmary in Middlesbrough, Cleveland. Along with his colleagues Mr Martin Horowitz and Mr Frank Fleming, he began the task of developing the department. At the time, cancer in ENT was managed by General surgeons coming to the Infirmary to operate. Vasant Oswal started to undertake all the cancer work in ENT.  The catchment area soon expanded. The oral surgery department had consultant dentists who did not do any cancer operations of the oral cavity. Their patients were referred to Infirmary. Likewise, no major cancer surgery was undertaken in the Military Hospital at Catterick. Their patients were also referred to the infirmary. A ‘team management concept’ was established where a number of disciplines such as speech therapist, physiotherapist, district nurses and general practitioners were involved. A major step was taken to rehabilitate patients who had undergone laryngectomy by establishing ‘Cleveland Laryngectomy Club’.

 

First Laryngectomy was performed by Billroth in 1874. To mark the passage of hundred years, ‘Centennial Conference on Laryngeal Cancer’ was held in Toronto in 1974. It was attended by some seven hundred delegates from around the world.  Vasant presented tape slide programme, ‘Team Concept of Laryngeal Cancer’ at this conference. The presentation received much accolade and was awarded ‘Best presentation award’ in the form of a scroll. Following these events, in 1974, the department was designated for higher surgical training and rotation of senior registrars was established between Dundee and Middlesbrough,

 

In the late seventies, laser technology began to make inroads in clinical practice. Having seen its demonstration at the World Congress in Budapest in 1981, Vasant Oswal decided that the technology be introduced in the department. Shortage of funds was universal, so Vasant, with the great enthusiasm of all the staff of the Infirmary, and with some very grateful patients, went to raise the funds by public appeal. It is astonishing that within a short span of six months an appeal of £40,000/- was exceeded and the final figure stood at £72,000/-. A CO₂ laser was installed, and pioneering work with bench experiments began to set out the parameters for its clinical application. The First British Conference on CO₂ laser in ENT was held in Middlesbrough in 1983 when some hundred international specialists came to Middlesbrough from a number of countries including US. First Cleveland International Course took place in conjunction with the conference. The course quickly established itself as a model course. Vasant‘s wife Nirmal Oswal provided a very valuable administrative support over all these years. Some twenty years on, having taken a step back, Vasant Oswal passed on the mantle to his colleagues. The team is led by Mr Wight and Mr Bosman with the help of the Medical and nursing staff of the ENT department of JCUH, and the support staff – Denis Mason, Gordon Myers and Paul Marsh. To mark this occasion, the course established an oration ‘Vasant and Nirmal Oswal Oration’, which is delivered annually during the course from invited eminent ENT surgeons from various countries.  October 2008 will be the silver jubilee year of the course.

 

 

 

Mr Oswal CV contd …

 

Vasant established training courses and international faculty of laser experts in otolaryngology and conducted courses in a number of countries in the world. He was awarded honorary membership of National Associations in

 

Otolaryngology of many countries. He has presented papers and chaired sessions in International conferences held in a number of countries.

 

In 1988, a book on CO₂ Laser in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck surgery (Oswal, Kashima, Flood) was published in the UK.

 

In 2002, with advances in technology, second book titled ‘Principles and Practice of Lasers in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (Oswal, Remacle, Jovanovic, Krespi) was published by Kuglers of The Netherlands. This book also contains interactive CD with video clips demonstrating various laser techniques.

 

In the late eighties, he was appointed Visiting Professor and External Examiner to UKM University in Malaysia. His other major contribution to literature was in the role of an Honorary Editor-in-Chief of ENTNews, a bimonthly journal published by Pinpoint, Scotland.

 

1995 – Vasant Oswal decided to retire! But he could not keep away from his first home, the hospital. He took up an Honorary Consultant attachment and continues to work in the department till date. The ENT department honoured him by naming a ward after him – Oswal Suite. This honour was brought to JCUH when the department moved and a consulting room in the outpatient was named ‘Oswal Rhinology Suite’.

 

In recognition of his pedagogical work, the International Academy of Otolaryngology and H&N Surgeons of Russia recently honoured him by awarding the ‘NP Simanovskii Gold Medal’ during the recent Academy Conference held in St Petersburg. There have been only three such awardees of this prestigious award, and the previous two were from Russia.

 

2008 he ‘finally retired’ as Honorary Consultant Otolaryngologist and H & N Surgeon!

 

2009 Emeritus Consultant Otolaryngologist and H & N Surgeon.

 

For his contribution to the ENT department James Cook University Hospital awarded him a title of Emeritus Consultant Otolaryngologist and H & N Surgeon.

 

He continues to be actively associated with the medical world and is on a number of committees:

 

He is currently:

 

Vice President, British Medical Laser Association, UK

 

Chair, Education committee, British Medical Laser Association, UK

 

Secretary General, European Laser Association, The Netherlands

 

Distinguished Otolaryngologist - Actual Member by invitation, The International Academy of

  Otolaryngologist and Head and Neck Surgeon, Russia

 

Mr Oswal CV contd …

 

Chair, Jury committee, International Conference of Young Otolaryngologists, Russia

 

Chair, International Conference of Young Otolaryngologists, Russia

 

Faculty member, International Cleveland Laser Course, James Cook University Hospital,

Middlesbrough, Cleveland, England

 

Chair, Joint International ENT update 2008, Pune, India

 

President, Indian Voice Association, India

 

Honorary Visiting Professor, Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Pune, India

 

Honorary Treasurer, World Federation of Laser Societies, Japan

 

Honorary Member, Organising Committee, Laser Florence, Italy

 

Member, International Liaison Committee, American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery. USA

 

Member, Scientific Committee, Advanced Technology and Instrumentation in Otolaryngology: Lasers, Optics, Radio Frequency, and Related Technology, SPIE, San Hose, California, USA

 

Member, Scientific Committee, International Phototherapy Association, Japan

 

Member, Editorial Board, Lasers in Medical Science, UK

 

End May 2009