The need for an otological society focused on the diseases and treatment options primarily focused on the inner ear, Endolymphatic Hydrops and Meniere’s disease, was a somewhat novel idea in 1980 when I put this forward with my then partner, Dr. Tom Balkany. He was excited to support the formation of the Prosper Meniere Society (PMS) and helped with the plan for the First International Symposium on Inner Ear Medicine and Surgery. We successfully organized and implemented the first Symposium in 1982 in Snowmass-Aspen Colorado with Professeur Docteur and Georges Portmann as our first PMS Gold Medal Awardees. This was the first of many successful ventures and other meetings sponsored by our fledgling international otologic society.
The meetings and the program flow were designed to bring together a variety of diverse and often controversial opinions and new material. This gave the attendees an opportunity to discuss and challenge each other openly and without major time constraints. This was believed by many to be a wonderful opportunity to test out new and innovative approaches to inner ear disorders with peer feedback. Often as a result, new directions and publications resulted from these interchanges. This type of venue was greatly appreciated by many of the younger members who had a chance to present and absorb their peer feedback, and toughen their skin, before presenting something new at a major otologic meeting.
Now that I have moved to AZ and downsized, as I continue unpacking, I am finding more PMS photos and memorabilia to share with you on this PMS website. I hope you will continue this effort to share photos, anecdotes, and good memories on this website with all present, past, and future PMS members.
Note, PMS is putting 3 powerpoint presentations on the website I did for the 2023 meeting ,as I was unable to attend. I hope these contributions help put PMS in perspective and remain relevant.
Thanks for the opportunity!
Dr. Irv
