Background and Legacy

EarAtlas builds upon the vision of Mr. David Pothier, a pioneering ENT surgeon and one of the early champions of endoscopic ear surgery in the UK.

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, David qualified in medicine at Cape Town University before training in the UK’s South West ENT programme. He earned an MD and helped establish one of the most productive trainee research networks in the country.

In 2008, he completed a fellowship in neuro‑otology at Toronto General Hospital, where he went on to serve as consultant, junior professor, and president of the International Working Group on Endoscopic Ear Surgery. His career was marked by innovation, from advancing endoscopic surgical techniques to developing multidisciplinary care for dizziness and authoring influential works on vestibular disorders.

During his career, David developed an extensive repository of high‑definition images of otological disease, originally made freely available through his online atlas, with the aim of making high‑quality otology education accessible worldwide.

David passed away in 2018 at the age of 44 after a courageous battle with brain cancer. EarAtlas preserves and builds upon his exceptional body of work, ensuring that his unique image collection remains freely accessible to clinicians worldwide. In doing so, we honour his dedication to education, innovation, and improving patient care - a legacy that continues to inspire and benefit the global otology community.