Ten-Year Update: The State of Sleep Surgery Training for Otolaryngologists.

Abstract

A decade ago, the field of sleep surgery was on the brink of extinction after changes in certification requirements. Though improving, many otolaryngology programs still do not have dedicated sleep faculty, and residents feel they have not received adequate sleep medicine experience. The field of sleep surgery can expand on a pipeline of sleep-trained otolaryngology fellows by increasing residency exposure to faculty with subcertification in sleep medicine and increasing visibility of fellowship opportunities. Mini-mentorship programs for residents without sleep programs/faculty and inclusion of sleep surgery procedures as key indicator cases during residency may increase interest and exposure to sleep procedures. Maintaining current lists of sleep medicine fellowship programs that include Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery faculty is critical to ensuring accessibility and transparency. Without intervention, the field may be limited to selecting sleep surgery fellows from programs with established sleep surgeons and/or training programs, creating a narrow path for future growth.