Robert Jan Pauw
Robert Jan Pauw (1978) is a consultant ENT surgeon specializing in otology and lateral skull base surgery at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, where he leads the otology department. He trained in otorhinolaryngology at Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen and completed a fellowship in otology with Professor Offeciers at the European Institute for ORL-HNS in Antwerp.
In 2007, he earned his PhD with a thesis on hereditary hearing impairment, focusing on the clinical and genetic aspects of DFNA9, DFNA15, OTSC5, and OTSC7. He has since been actively involved in cholesteatoma research, co-supervising multiple PhD projects.
Dr. Pauw is a former chair of the Otology Section of the Dutch ENT Society and has played a key role in developing national treatment guidelines. Passionate about education, he trains ENT residents and medical students and teaches at international ear surgery courses in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium.
He is the current congress chairman of the 12th International Conference on Cholesteatoma and Ear Surgery (CHOLE2027) that will take place from 6-9 June 2027 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. www.chole2027.com
Sessions
Cholesteatoma surgery aims to achieve complete disease eradication while preserving or restoring middle ear function. Both canal wall up (CWU) and canal wall down (CWD) techniques are widely used, each with distinct advantages and limitations. CWU surgery offers the benefit of preserving normal anatomy but is associated with a higher risk of residual or recurrent disease. Incorporating mastoid obliteration into CWU procedures can reduce this risk and improve middle ear ventilation, while also eliminating the need for a second-look surgery in selected cases. In CWD surgery, mastoid obliteration has proven effective in minimizing the disadvantages of an open cavity—such as chronic discharge, vertigo with temperature changes, and the need for regular cleaning—while maintaining disease control. As such, mastoid obliteration has become an increasingly valuable adjunct in both CWU and CWD cholesteatoma surgery.
This instructional course will provide a comprehensive overview of mastoid obliteration in cholesteatoma surgery, focusing on its rationale, detailed surgical technique, and reported outcomes. Through a step-by-step video-based presentation, participants will gain insight into patient selection, choice of obliteration materials (autologous and synthetic), key surgical steps including disease clearance and reconstruction, and strategies to prevent complications.
The session will also present evidence from recent studies on long-term outcomes, hearing results, and quality of life metrics, with a comparison between obliterative and non-obliterative techniques.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the theoretical and clinical rationale for mastoid obliteration in cholesteatoma surgery.
Acquire knowledge of the technical aspects of various obliteration techniques.
Evaluate current evidence on surgical and functional outcomes to support clinical decision-making.