I am a board-certified otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon who specialize in the treatment of a broad spectrum of tumors that include caners of the oral cavity and larynx, salivary gland, thyroid, skin, and sinonasal/skull base. I have considerable expertise in treating patients with tumors of the sinonasal cavity and base of skull. I am part of a multidisciplinary team that includes neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologist, pathologists, and radiologists who all specializes in these tumors. The team approach allows us to remove tumors at the base of skull while preserving critical structures such as the eye and brain. We utilize endoscopic approaches which avoids the need for incisions on the face and head.
I have also considerable expertise in minimally invasive surgery for tumors involving the thyroid and parathyroid glands. It is possible to remove these tumors using a minimally invasive technique, allowing for smaller incisions and less chance of cosmetic deformity and post-operative pain. We have incorporated nerve monitoring into surgery to make the procedure even safer, and to avoid debilitating vocal cord paralysis.
In addition, I have become extensively involved in our robotic surgery program. This approach allows us to operate on cancers involving the base of tongue, tonsil, larynx and pharynx utilizing the surgical robot. This allows surgeons to avoid disfiguring incisions upon the face. The precision of the robot facilitates improvement in speech and swallowing function, as well as preservation of critical structures. It is our hope that this technique will be applicable to the skull base and other sites as the technology and instrumentation improves.
Outside of my clinical responsibilities, I currently serve as President of the North American Skull Base Society, Secretary of the American Society of Head and Neck Surgery, Editor-in-Chief of Skull Base Surgery Journal, Associate Editor of the Head and Neck Journal, Senior Examiner for the American Board of Otolaryngology and Chair of the Head and Neck Education Committee for the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery.
