BM, MRCS, DLO, DM, FRCS ORL-HNS

Specialty

Otorhinolaryngology

Sub-specialty

Paediatrics

Education and training

University of Southampton medical school
Basic surgical rotation - Wessex region
Registrar training - Wessex and Oxford deanery

Fellowships

Out of programme experience - Mini-fellowship: Clinical fellow paediatric otorhinolaryngology - Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
Paediatric otorhinolaryngology fellow - The Evelina Children’s Hospital, London, UK

Experience

Mrs Ismail-Koch is a consultant otorhinolaryngologist (since 2011). Although she is fully trained in both adult and paediatric otorhinolaryngology, and covers all emergencies and operates on adults and children, her specialist interest is in paediatrics. Mrs Ismail-Koch has an absolute passion for providing the best care possible and in improving the journey of her patients and their families. She has an extensive logbook covering the generality of ENT and advanced procedures. Her training was undertaken in the Wessex and Oxford regions, with subspecialist training at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and an advanced subspecialist fellowship at The Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

Following research with the Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research, UK, Mrs Ismail-Koch was awarded a Doctorate of Medicine.

Her current roles include serving as the associate secretary of the British Association for Paediatric Otorhinolaryngology (BAPO) working on training and guidelines amongst other things and European Society for Paediatric Otorhinolaryngology (ESPO) 2023 International Scientific Committee. She is a paediatric ENT section editor for the Journal of ENT Masterclass.

Mrs Ismail-Koch presents nationally and internationally on paediatric otorhinolaryngology interests and is a faculty member on several courses.

She has been organising scientific committee and a former council member of both the British Laryngology Association and British Otolaryngology and Allied sciences research group. She has also been organising scientific committee for the European Laryngological Society.

Mrs Ismail-Koch's main interests relate to paediatric otorhinolaryngology, training and research. With a strong interest in simulation, she co-developed and was a founder of an award winning multidisciplinary paediatric airway training course that has trained several hundred doctors. She has also co-developed and run together with colleagues the first national paediatric airway course for trainee otorhinolaryngologists - BAPO Airway Trainee Skills course (BATS). She is part of a team that set up the first paediatric laryngeal reinnervation service in the UK.

Currently Mrs Ismail-Koch is the core surgical training program director for Wessex, and prior to this was the Royal College of Surgeons of England surgical tutor at Southampton. She currently chairs the core surgical training committee in Wessex, UK and is the joint national core surgical training simulation representative.

Conditions treated

At UHS, Mrs Ismail-Koch mainly sees children with all ear, nose and throat problems, and adults with emergency ear, nose and throat, and head and neck problems.

Ears
Ear infections
Hearing loss
Holes in the ear drum
Nose
Nasal blockage, noisy breathing, snoring
Runny nose
Postnasal drip
Rhinitis and rhinosinusitis
Children with allergies in the nose
Nosebleeds
Adenoidal problems
Loss of sense of smell
Throat
Tonsillitis
Snoring and breathing problems
Noisy breathing in children - not related to asthma lower respiratory tract problem
Floppy airway in children/laryngomalacia
Upper airway concerns
Croup
Voice issues - weak voice, hoarse voice
Lumps in the neck
Neck infections
Swallowing difficulties

Most common operations performed

Tonsillectomy
adenoidectomy
Grommet insertion
Turbinates surgery
Airway assessment including laryngo tracheo bronchoscopy and treatments
Airway surgery including balloon dilatation, foreign body removal, airway enlargement procedures, laryngotracheal reconstruction
Nonselective laryngeal nerve reinnervation to improve voice where weak due to nerve injury or child choking due to laryngeal nerve injury
Thyroglossal duct removal
Excision of neck lump
Tympanoplasty
Pinnaplasty

Awards and prizes

2024

Doctors’ Awards 2024 runner-up division A senior mentor award ‘for excellence and hard work during 2024’ University Hospital Southampton.

2021

Junior doctors senior mentor award 'for commitment to supporting the education and development of junior doctors, providing both clinical and pastoral support. For being well respected and a true role model’ for University Hospital Southampton.

2017

Surgeon Educator Day (RCS Eng) 3^rd prize: Simulated paediatric tracheostomy training tool

2016

ESPO prize talk co-author - following award of Susanna Leighton prize 2015

2015

BAPO Susanna Leighton Prize (co-author and collaborator)
Education and Training Team of the Year
Highly commended runner up, Health Education Wessex, Shine Awards (recognising excellence in education and training for the NHS)

2014

Wonderful Workforce Solution of the Year
Certificate of Congratulations, Health Education Wessex, Shine Awards (recognising excellence in education and training for the NHS)
Clinical Audit Support Centre & Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership Junior Doctor Quality Improvement project of the year competition finalist (senior author)
Association of Otolaryngologists in Training PRIZE (senior author)
BAPO Poster Prize; Preoperative screening history to identify bleeding risk in children undergoing adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy.

Previous awards

BAPO: Short paper prize 2010
Research funded by Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research

Research

Doctorate of Medicine, 2004 to 2009
Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research, Southampton

Mrs Ismail-Koch is involved in local, national and international projects. She supervises student and trainee projects, and has supervised MSc work. Much of this work is presented. She also has over 50 publications, including book chapters.

Contact

Contact Mrs Ismail-Koch via her secretary Lisa Roper by emailing lisa.roper@uhs.nhs.uk or call 023 8120 2932.

Meet the children's ear, nose and throat team

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