About

Duane matriculated in 1990 from the Glen High School. He studied medicine from 1991 to 1996 at the University of Pretoria and then specialised as an Ear, Nose, and Throat Surgeon from 2000 to 2003 at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein.

Duane is now in private practice in Alberton and focuses mainly on hearing repair surgery and nasal reconstructive surgery. He is an active member of the Johannesburg Cochlear Implant program since 2005 and is one of the surgeons involved in 94.7 “Hear for Life” cochlear implant team.

Duane is married to Therina and they have three daughters, one son-in-law (with another in the wings), and one grandson. He is an accomplished drummer and magician and was the South African General Stage Magic Champion in 2002, a title he held for four years. He regularly performs magic for corporate functions all over South Africa and has performed at over two thousand occasions, including a special show for Nelson Mandela in 1996.

Medically speaking, he has three publications to date. He is on the faculty of the International Otology Board of the Causse Clinique in France. He is the South African representative for the LION foundation (Live International Otolaryngology Network). He was also the president of the South African Cochlear Implant Group from 2013 to 2016. He is part time lecturer for the Wits ENT Department in Otology and also runs Cerumens courses for the department of Audiology, Speech and Hearing at Wits.

Basic Education

• 2000–2003 MMed (ORL) (cum laude)—Ear, Nose, and Throat Surgery, University of Free State (South Africa).
• 1991–1996 MBChB at university of Pretoria (South Africa).
• 1990 Matric National Certificate—The Glen High School, Pretoria (South Africa).

Pre-Specialist Graduate Activities

• 1992–1994—Volunteer for TPA Ambulance service under Civil Defence force.
• 1994—Top ten finalist in Nedbanks Junior Entrepreneurs of South Africa.
• 1990–1996—Numerous television magic performances (Zap Mag; Top Billing; and other magazine TV
  programs).
• 1996—Authored two books (Dad, You’re a Star and Mom You’re a Star), published by J L Van Schaik publishers, and translated into Afrikaans.
• 1996—Invited to perform magic for President Nelson Mandela at his residence in Pretoria.
• 1997—Produced, directed, and starred in three sold-out full-length magic and illusion spectaculars (“It’s Magic”) in Welkom City Hall, Oppenheimer Theatre for three nights (31 August – 02 September).
• 2002—Overall winner of the South African General Stage Magic Competition, a title held for four years.
• 2003—Helped start and launch the Bloemfontein Cochlear Implant program.

Publications

• December 2002—“Incidence and Management of Acoustic Neuromas in South Africa” (with Riaz Seedat and A. J. Claassen) in Otology & Neurotology: Official Publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society, and European Academy of Otology and Neurotology.
• February 2004—“Use and Care of an Endotracheal/Tracheostomy Tube Cuff—Are Intensive Care Unit Staff Adequately Informed?” (with G. T. de Villiers, A. J. Claassen, and G. Joubert) in South African Journal of Surgery.
• January 2010—“An Approach to Chronic Otitis MEdia with Effusion—The Pros and Cons of Grommets” in CME: Your SA Journal of CPD (now incorporated into South African Medical Journal).

Honours and Awards

• August 2002—First place overall in the registrar paper presentations for the Free State University’s Annual Academic Faculty Day over all the disciplines.
• November 2002—Won the Sean Sellars Trophy for best ENT registrar research project at the SA ENT Conference.
• 2000—Designed an inexpensive cuff pressure monitor device for the monitoring of endotracheal cuff pressure, which was installed in all the ICUs at the time in the Bloemfontein Academic Hospitals, which is still used in numerous ICUs in Johannesburg private hospitals.
• Numerous awards for “best speaker” and “most entertaining speaker” at numerous conferences around South Africa.

Oral Presentations

• October 2013—One of three main speakers at the South African Annual ENT Conference in Bloemfontein, presenting on a new technique for tympanoplasty as well as understanding advanced otosclerosis.
• 2014—Invited to chair the International Cochlear Implant Conference session on advanced otosclerosis in Wurzburg, Germany.
• 2007–2017 (and ongoing)—Annual speaker and faculty member of the International Otology Course in Beziers, France, presenting on middle ear disease and surgical management issues, including (1) middle ear surgical challenges in South Africa (June 2010); (2) advanced otosclerosis and cochlear implants (June 2012); (3) challenges in otology (public and private) in the health sector in South Africa (June 2014); and (4) touch up middle ear surgery (June 2017).
• 2009—Presented entertainment at BACO, Liverpool for President’s Dinner.
• 2011—Cerumen management for audiologists, Sun City (ENT conference).
• June 2011—Launched Iliadin nasal spray in Ghana for Merck Medical.
• 2006–present—Numerous drug company presentations, including lectures for GPs (Bayer, Astra Zeneca, Aspen, Abbott, Takeda, Glaxo).
• 2012–present—Annual presentations at the South African Cochlear Implant Group conference in May each year on an array of different topics.
• 2005–2006—Invited to do numerous presentations around Gauteng at ICUs for citical care staff to promote the use of the self-designed cuff pressure monitor.
• 2016—Invited as the South African speaker for co-ablation international symposium in Chennai, India.
• 2017–present—Bi-annual presentation on innovative middle ear surgery techniques at the Causse Clinique, Beziers in France.

Appointments

• Director and in fulltime private practice at the Ear and Eye Clinic in Alberton, South Africa.
• 2012–2016—President of the South African Cochlea Implant Group since (now Past President).
• 2008–present—South African representative for the Live International Otolaryngology Network (LION) Foundation.
• 2014–present—Founding chairman of the South African Microtia/Atresia Group.
• 2007–present—Senior surgeon in the Johannesburg Cochlea Implant Program.
• 2007–present—International faculty member on the prestigious Causse Clinique International Otology Course in
  Beziers, France.
• 2025–present—Appointed Consultant Otologist at Nelson Mandela Hospital, Johannesburg.
• Numerous presentations on Bonebridge and Vibrant Soundbridge, locally and abroad, as well as hands-on courses to do this surgery as recent as February 2024.

Courses Presented

• 2007–present—Moderator for the live surgery cases presented annually at the Causse Clinique Course in Beziers, France.

• 2009—Tips and Tricks in Middle Ear Surgery, co-presented with Professor Robert Vincent in Cape Town and Pretoria.

• 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012—Live Surgery Network Course Co-Ordinator for LION foundation.

• 2010–2019—Cerumen Management Courses for South African Audiologists in Johannesburg.

• 2012—Co-ablation workshop with live surgery demonstrations (Union Hospital) for ENT colleagues in the South.

• 2013–present—Co-ordinate and present the South African annual Cochlea Implant Group (SACIG) Conference.

• August 2012—Advanced Cerumen Management Course for Audiologists (Phonak Hearing Aid Company) in Sydney, Australia.

• May 2017—Hosted the first ENT Telesurgery Conference at OR International Airport Southern Sun Hotel.

Relevant ENT Surgical Experience to Date

An average of 900 to 1000 ENT surgical procedures performed annually in private practice over the last twenty years, made up by some of the following:

• 500–700 private practice tonsillectomies annually since 2004—total performed with co-ablation, well over 5,000 cases.

• 50–60 Private practice stapedotomies performed annually.

• 80–100 on average tympanoplasties performed annually.

• 20–35 cochlea implants performed annually.

• 30–40 tympanomastoidectomies performed annually.

• 70–80 subtotal functional nasal reconstructions performed annually.

• 10–20 vocal cord procedures performed annually.

• 20–30 cosmetic ear and nasal surgeries performed annually.

• 20–30 implantable acoustic devices annually.

Private Practice Weekly Times

Detailed below is a standard week of consultation and theatre operating times at the practice.

Thursday

• 07:30 am – 12:30 pm—Theatre
• 1:00 pm – 5:30 pm—Consultation

Friday

• 07:00 am – 10:30 am—Consultation
• 11:00 am – 4:00 pm—Theatre

South African Firsts

• First Surgeon in South Africa to implant a Bonebridge hearing device.

• First Surgeon in South Africa to implant a hearing preservation electrode in a child under 10 years old.

• First surgeon in South Africa (and one of the first in the world) to implant a single sided deafness patient with a Cochlea Implant using a hearing preservation technique for isolated high frequency hearing loss.

• One of the first surgeons in South Africa to do Bilateral Simultaneous Cochlea Implants for children under 14 months of age.

• One of the first surgeons to implant the Soundbridge Hearing Device in South Africa for a Microtia/Atresia patient.

• First Surgeon in South Africa to do a simultaneous Sub-total Petrosectomy and Cochlea Implant on the same patient at one surgery.

• First surgeon in South Africa to do Ketac Cem related middle ear surgery.

• First surgeon in South Africa known to have done a 4 Ossicle hearing repair.

• Developed the use of KetaChem in surgery for the middle ear around the world.

International Mini Fellowships

• 2006—TWI Otology Fellowship in Beziers France.

• 2011—Surgical observation Professor Robert Briggs in Melbourne, Australia.

• 2016—Surgical observation California Ear Institute, Dr Joe Roberson, Paolo Alto.

• Many Hands-on courses attended at international conferences worldwide.

Social Awareness and Charity Campaigns

• Surgeon for the Magic Ear Foundation program—a program offering disadvantaged people free Cochlea Implants at the Ear and Eye Clinic.

• Otologist for Frances Voorweg School and Ekhuruleni School for the Deaf—pro deo Trains ENT registrars in advanced otology at my private practice.

• Runs a self-funded Otological Fellowship at the Ear and Eye Clinic for post graduate ENTs keen to improve their otological surgical skills.