BackTable ENT & Allergy

From clinic to the OR, storytelling quietly shapes every decision in clinical care. This episode of BackTable ENT & Allergy examines how narrative medicine and the stories at the heart of each patient encounter can elevate your clinical practice, enhance empathy, and deepen the doctor-patient relationship. Pediatric ENT Dr. Gopi Shah interviews Dr. Alessandra (Alessa) Colaianni, a head and neck surgical oncologist at the University of North Carolina, about the power and relevance of narrative medicine in modern surgical care.

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Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction05:53 - What is Narrative Medicine? 11:36 - Narrative Medicine in Clinic 17:28 - Narrative Medicine in the OR21:09 - Patient Case Presentation and Boundaries 25:05 - Writing For Reflection and the impact of AI 29:35 - Resources And Podcasts33:19 - Final Takeaways

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More about this episode

Dr. Colaianni is a published writer whose work has been featured in the New York Times, New Yorker, and the New England Journal of Medicine. She describes her lifelong interest in writing and shares how earning a master’s degree in the history and philosophy of science at the University of Cambridge during medical school helped her reconnect with the humanistic side of medicine. She reframes narrative medicine not as an extra task, but as an approach already woven into daily clinical work through history-taking, listening, and documentation. The conversation explores the influence of patient identity, socioeconomic context, and the “characters” in each patient’s story on clinical decisions and care. Dr. Colaianni reflects on the role of storytelling in surgical training, the apprenticeship model, and how thoughtful boundaries can foster meaningful doctor-patient relationships. The episode concludes with a discussion of AI’s potential impact on empathy and recommended reading for further exploration of narrative medicine.

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Resources

Dr.Colaianni’s published work https://www.alessandracolaianni.com

Columbia University Division of Narrative Medicine https://www.mhe.cuimc.columbia.edu/division-narrative-medicine

Columbia University Narrative Medicine Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@columbiauniversitynarrativ8472

The Nocturnists podcast https://thenocturnists.org/podcast

Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealey https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Face-Lucy-Grealy

The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jameson https://www.graywolfpress.org/books/empathy-exams

The Collected Schizophrenias Essays by Esmé Weijun Wanghttps://www.graywolfpress.org/books/collected-schizophrenias

My Own Country: A Doctor’s Story by Abraham Verghese https://www.amazon.com/My-Own-Country-Doctors-Story

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BackTable ENT & Allergy is the go-to podcast for otolaryngologists, allergists, and head and neck surgeons.

Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty.

► https://www.backtable.com/app

From the clinic to the camera, discover how an allergist turned social media into a patient education powerhouse. On this week’s episode of the BackTable ENT & Allergy Podcast, allergist Dr. Zachary Rubin of Oak Brook Allergists joins host Dr. Basil Kahwash to discuss his path from fellowship training to becoming a widely followed social media educator and author of the New York Times bestselling book “All About Allergies”. He explains how the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid spread of online medical misinformation inspired him to educate the public through social media, developing an authentic on-camera style and consistent brand that has expanded his reach far beyond the clinic.

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Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction05:21 - Learning the Creator Playbook10:10 - Authenticity and Creating a Personal Brand16:51 - Writing for Patients and Clinicians20:41 - Balancing Clinic and Content Creation26:15 - How to Start Your Public Voice29:11 - Professional Boundaries and Handling Criticism Online36:34 - How Patients Following Your Content Impacts the Clinic43:08 - The Unexpected Doors Content Creation Can Open48:44 - Future of Public Health53:09 - Final Advice

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More about this episode

The conversation explores strategies for communicating complex medical topics, such as using metaphors to improve public understanding, and the importance of professionalism, boundaries, and safety in the online space. Dr. Rubin offers advice on avoiding individualized medical advice, managing online harassment, and navigating the nonfiction publishing world. He also discusses the impact of advocacy and media engagement for both patients and healthcare professionals, showing how physicians can leverage media to make a difference well beyond their practice.

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Resources

Dr. Zachary Rubinhttps://www.oakbrookallergists.com/our-team/zachary-e-rubin-md/

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BackTable ENT & Allergy is the go-to podcast for otolaryngologists, allergists, and head and neck surgeons.

Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty.

► https://www.backtable.com/app

Behind every smooth surgery is a team member you may not see in the spotlight—but without them, the operation doesn’t run. In this episode of the BackTable ENT podcast, Jose Flores, a surgical technologist at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego and ENT service coordinator, joins host Dr. Gopi Shah to discuss the importance of the surgical technologist’s role in the OR and how it directly impacts patient care.

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SYNPOSIS

Jose discusses his journey from being a medical assistant to finding his calling in the operating room, specifically in ENT. They explore the critical yet often overlooked role of OR scrub techs, the necessity of proper preparation and organization, and the importance of good communication and teamwork within the surgical team. Jose also shares personal experiences and advice for both new surgical techs and medical students, emphasizing the rewarding nature of working in pediatric ENT.

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Introduction 01:29 - Jose Flores’s Journey to Becoming a Surgical Tech05:41 - Daily Responsibilities and Preparation10:11 - Communication and Teamwork in the OR15:30 - Building Strong Surgical Tech Relationships18:51 - Advice for New Surgical Techs21:25 - The Role of Techs in Quality and Safety23:15 - Giving and Receiving Feedback27:02 - Fostering Respect and Recognition30:40 - Final Thoughts and Contact Information

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RESOURCES

Jose Flores’s Story:https://vimeo.com/1096085041

Could that routine epistaxis actually be the first sign of a challenging skull base tumor? This week’s episode of the BackTable ENT Podcast is part two of the sinonasal tumor and skull base involvement discussion. Host Dr. Satyan Sreenath is joined again by Dr. Joao Paulo Almeida, Dr. Zara Patel, and Dr. Garret Choby for a case-based deep dive into the multidisciplinary management of complex sinonasal tumors.

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Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction 01:20 - Case 1: Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma05:03 - Considerations for Pre-Operative Embolization 08:10 - Disaster Scenario: High Volume Loss09:21 - Operative Approach18:10 - Post-Op Imaging Considerations21:00 - Case 2: Invasive Keratinizing Squamous Cell Carcinoma24:40 - Operative Approach vs. Neoadjuvant Treatment Strategies28:30 - Importance of Diagnostic Nasal Endoscopy30:15 - Operative Approach32:37 - Lumbar Drain Considerations 40:35 - Closing Thoughts

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More about this episode

The panel works through advanced cases presenting with epistaxis, using them to highlight key principles in evaluation, imaging, staging, and operative planning. They first discuss a 16-year-old male with a large juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma extending to the skull base and middle cranial fossa, focusing on vascular supply, preoperative embolization, surgical strategy near the carotid, and planning for intraoperative hemorrhage and postoperative surveillance. They also emphasize the importance of thorough endoscopic evaluation and early referral to experienced centers.

They then review a 72-year-old female with invasive, HPV-negative keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma involving the anterior cranial fossa and dura. The conversation addresses tumor board decision-making, neoadjuvant considerations, endoscopic craniofacial resection, reconstruction strategies, and management of delayed positive margins. It highlights how accurate histopathology and coordinated multidisciplinary care guide outcomes in these complex cases.

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Resources

Joao Paulo Almeida, MD, PhDhttps://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/68351/almeida-joao-paulo

Satyan B. Sreenath, MDhttps://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/60724/sreenath-satyan

Zara M. Patel, MD https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/zara-patel

Garret W. Choby, MDhttps://providers.upmc.com/provider/garret-w-choby/2592344

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BackTable ENT & Allergy is the go-to podcast for otolaryngologists, allergists, and head and neck surgeons.

Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty.

► https://www.backtable.com/app

Pathology, anatomy, and staging: how do these three pillars come together to guide sinonasal tumor management? In this episode of the BackTable ENT Podcast, host Dr. Satyan Sreenath is joined by Dr. Joao Paulo Almeida, Dr. Zara Patel, and Dr. Garret Choby to discuss a multidisciplinary approach to sinonasal tumors, emphasizing the triad of pathology, anatomy, and staging to guide treatment.

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Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtable.com/app

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Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction 02:04 - First Principles of Workup05:23 - Case 1: Maxillary Sinus Mass 06:23 - Imaging and Biopsy Strategy08:11 - Inverted Papilloma Pathology and Surgical Planning20:28 - Case 2: Unilateral Disease Red Flags24:34 - MRI Clues for Malignancy31:47 - Video Walkthrough of Endonasal Resection38:51 - Surveillance41:41 - Key Papers---More about this episode

The panel reviews key workup considerations, including in-office biopsy and the use of CT and MRI to distinguish tumor from retained secretions and guide operative planning. They walk through two illustrative cases of inverted papilloma. The first involves a left maxillary sinus mass treated with an endoscopic medial maxillectomy using a Denker-type approach, with emphasis on complete attachment-site eradication. The second case highlights an elderly patient with frontal and anterior ethmoid disease abutting the orbit and skull base, requiring meticulous endoscopic technique, careful management of the anterior ethmoid artery, and thoughtful handling of bone and periorbita.

The discussion also covers imaging features suggestive of malignant transformation, as well as emerging AI-based CT and MRI tools that show high accuracy in distinguishing benign inverted papillomas from those associated with squamous cell carcinoma. The episode concludes with postoperative surveillance strategies and key consensus and review publications.

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ResourcesJoao Paulo Almeida, MD, PhDhttps://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/68351/almeida-joao-paulo

Satyan B. Sreenath, MDhttps://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/60724/sreenath-satyan

Zara M. Patel, MD https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/zara-patel

Garret W. Choby, MDhttps://providers.upmc.com/provider/garret-w-choby/2592344

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BackTable ENT & Allergy is the go-to podcast for otolaryngologists, allergists, and head and neck surgeons.

Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty.

► https://www.backtable.com/app