Dr. Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, former President of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, discussed the ”Vestibular Assessment for Complex Dizziness” during the 314th Luis Guerrero Memorial Lecture held on October 26, 2016 at the CME Auditorium, San Martin de Porres Bldg.
The lecture was jointly hosted by the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery’s Department of Otorhinolaryngology (ENT), headed by Dr. Benito Uy, and the UST Hospital’s Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, headed by Dr. Ferdinand Pamintuan.
Dizziness, vertigo, and balance dysfunction may originate in the vestibular system or elsewhere, according to the lecture. The speaker elucidated clinical pathways to narrow down diagnostic possibilities between central and peripheral causes. Referral for further assessment and possibly treatment can then be made to an ENT subspecialist, like Chandrasekhar.
Chandrasekhar is an otologist/neurotologist and is a board-certified otolaryngologist who provides medical and surgical care of patients, both adult and pediatric, with diseases that affect the ears, balance system, temporal bone, skull base, and related structures of the head and neck. The eminent lady doctor previously served as chair of the AAO-HNS Board of Governors. Currently, Chandrasekhar is director of Neurotology at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in, Bronx, New York; director of the Comprehensive Balance Center, New York Head and Neck Institute of Northwell Health System at Lenox Hill Hospital/MEETH; and Clinical Professor in Otolaryngology at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Dr. Luis Guerrero, the man after whom the award is named, obtained his medical degree from UST in 1901. He served concurrently as UP professor and chair of its Department of Pediatrics and chief of UST Department of Medicine from 1927 to 1946. He was dean of the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery from 1945 to 1949. He was Fellow of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine, London; editor-in-chief of the Santo Tomas Journal of Medicine; president of the Manila Medical Society and president of the Philippine Islands Medical Association.
Guerrero is known to be a leader of scientific thought, famed clinician and moral practitioner, and he insisted on accuracy of diagnosis and simplicity of treatment, especially in drugs administered to the patient. He belonged to that rare breed of men in the last century who combined sound scholarship, broad culture, high professional ideals and unselfish patriotism.
