About Dr Sean Flanagan (ENT Surgeon)

Dr Sean Flanagan is a dual fellowship trained ENT surgeon (otolaryngology head and neck surgery), sub-specialising in diseases of the ear, tumours of the skull base and in surgical correction of hearing loss including cochlear implantation and bone anchored hearing aids. He is equally comfortable in the management of paediatric ENT disorders.

He is currently a VMO ENT Surgeon at St Vincent’s Public and Private Hospitals in Sydney, as a member of the ENT, otology and skull base surgery department, and is a conjoint lecturer at the University of New South Wales. The Otology and Skull Base Surgery Unit has an international fellow, with the overall department responsible for 2 advanced ENT trainees. He consults on the St Vincent’s Hospital Campus at Sydney ENT Clinic, 67 Burton St, Darlinghurst [map] as well as in Miranda [map] , located in the Sutherland Shire. He is also appointed at Sutherland and St George Hospitals, Kareena Private Hospital and Prince of Wales Private Hospital. These appointments allow the management of all cases in both the public and private medical systems.

Training

Following completion of his ENT training, he spent two further years pursuing post-fellowship sub-specialisation in otology, neurotology and skull base surgery. The first year was spent at St Vincent’s Hospital under supervision of Professor Paul Fagan, the pre-eminent otologist and skull base surgeon in Australia. The second year was spent at the Gruppo Otologico, in Piacenza, Italy, under the supervision of Professor Mario Sanna. This unit is the busiest skull base and neurotology unit in Europe.

Presentations

Dr Flanagan regularly presents to the public, patient groups, GPs  and ENT trainees, as well as to local and international conferences.

Upcoming presentations:

Co-convener yearly Live Surgery and Temporal Bone Course, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, Australia

Co-convener yearly Live Surgery and Audiology Course, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, Australia

Recent presentations have included:

  • Management of complications in lateral skull base surgery. ASOHNS conference 2024
  • Outcomes in Cochlear Implantation, Update on Implantable Heairng Aids. Canazai, Italy 2023
  • Co-convener Foundation Cochlear Implant Course, with Live Surgery and Temporal Bone Dissection. February 2020
  • Live surgery, cochlear implantation and atticotomy for cholesteatoma. Update on implantable hearing aids. ENT Conclave 2019, Amritsar, India.
  • Otologic considerations. Advanced Vestibular Course. Australian Physiotherapy Association. December 2018 and 2019
  • Co-Convener Hearing Loss, community event St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
  • Co-convener, Live Surgery (cochlear implantation) Hyderabad ENT Hospital temporal bone and liver surgery course. October 2018, Hyderabad, India.
  • Cochlear Implant Update, presentation and live surgery (cochlear implantation) AOISOUTHCON 2018, October 2018, Mandya, India.
  • Update on the management of hearing loss; Upover Downunder Conference, Italy, January 2018
  • Presentation with A/P Nigel Biggs outlining challenges in the management of NF-2, at Innaugaural NF-1, NF-2 Symposium.
  • Update on the surgical management of conductive hearing loss. ASOHNS annual general conference, Adelaide. March 2017.
  • Co-Convener at the annual St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney Audiology Conference including lectures to audiologists and performance of live ear surgery.
  • Co-Convener at the annual St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney Temporal Bone Course yearly including lectures to ENT surgeons, ENT trainees and performance of live surgery.
  • Co-convener ENT Skills Workshop for emergency physicians, October 2014
  • Co-convenor Cochlear Coorporation Advanced Surgical Workshop for visiting international surgeons. Live surgery demonstrating cochlear implantation and the new BAHA Attract system.
  • Chairperson, Presenter, member of international faculty IFOS 2013, Seoul, South Korea
  • Chair and presentation to the Australian Tinnitus Association AGM 2012
  • Update in the Management of Meniere’s Disease, including medical and surgical techniques. To the Meniere’s Association of NSW, May 18th 2011.
  • Presentation at the ASOHNS (Australian Society of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery) annual conference titled “Update on the conservative management of vestibular schwannomas”, and chaired a free paper otology session at the same conference.
  • Garvan Institute’s Seminar on aging in terms of the impact of age and noise exposure on hearing loss.
  • A series of lectures to the Kogarah Division of GPs on aspects of ear disease and hearing loss.
  • Presentation to the Acoustic Neuroma Association of Australia
  • Presentation to the yearly GPCE, a large GP conference, giving an overview of ear disease.
  • Presentation at the Spring Emergency Medicine Conference giving an overview to Emergency Medicine Physicians regarding emergency ear nose and throat and head and neck problems.