Otolaryngology

Providing diagnostic evaluation and treatment of infants and children with a wide range of problems relating to the head and neck.

We provide care to all infants, children, and adolescents requiring medical and surgical treatment for the head and neck. We offer comprehensive treatment of malformations of the ear, nose, throat, and airway, treatment for noncongenital airway problems, infectious diseases of the sinuses, tonsils, and adenoids, and neoplasms of the head and neck.

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Treatments

We treat disorders of the ears, nose, neck, and airway, including the treatment of:

recurrent otitis media with the possible need for placement of PE tubes
recurrent tonsillitis
congenital deformities of the neck, ear, and head
chronic ear disease including cholesteotoma, chronic sinusitis
otolaryngologic problems associated with cystic fibrosis, immunocompromise, and malignancy

Our services extend to the management of complex craniofacial anomalies that require a comprehensive team approach.

Cleft Palate Program

This program provides comprehensive care for children with cleft palate. The multidisciplinary group staffing this clinic includes otolaryngologists, plastic surgeons, speech therapists, and physical therapists.

This team meets Wednesdays, and is coordinated through the Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery. The Team Coordinator for this program can be reached at 919-684-3815.

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Physicians

Name	Areas of Special Interest
Seth M. Cohen, MD, MPH	Surgical and medical management of adult voice, airway, and swallowing problems: vocal cord polyps, vocal cord cysts, vocal cord nodules, pre-cancerous lesions of the larynx and vocal cords, vocal cord leukoplakia, vocal cord cancer, laryngeal and vocal cord papilloma, tracheal papilloma, laryngeal stenosis, tracheal stenosis, subglottic stenosis, laryngeal trauma, vocal cord paralysis, vocal cord paresis or weakness, vocal cord atrophy/bowing, reinkes edema or polypoid corditis, hoarseness including acute laryngitis and chronic laryngitis, reflux-related hoarseness/voice problems or laryngopharyngeal reflux, allergy-related hoarseness/voice problems, vocal cord dysfunction and cough, vocal tremor, spasmodic dysphonia, muscle tension dysphonia, laryngoceles, laryngeal cysts, saccular cysts, vocal cord granulomas, bilateral vocal cord paralysis, problems related to tracheotomy, vocal cord hemorrhage and scar, singers and professional/occupational voice care; in-office laryngeal surgery including office-based laser treatment for papilloma and precancerous lesions, office-based laryngeal, vocal cord, and tracheal biopsies, office-based vocal cord injections for vocal cord paralysis; laryngeal reconstruction, tracheal resection, microlaryngeal surgery, laryngeal framework surgery
Matthew D. Ellison, MD	Surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (UPPP, tongue base suspension and hyoid suspension, pillar palatoplasty, turbinate reduction) in adults and children, allergy care including skin testing and immunotherapy (subcutaneous "allergy shots" and sublingual "allergy drops"), medical care of chronic sinus problems (including endoscopic diagnosis, nebulization topical therapy), surgical care of chronic sinus problems (recurrent infections, polyps, turbinate hypertrophy) including less invasive and safer techniques like CT guidance endoscopic sinus surgery, balloon sinuplasty and turbinoplasty, care of children with ear, nose, and throat problems, such as enlarged tonsils, enlarged adenoids, hearing loss, ear infections, and neck masses, surgical treatment of skin cancers on the neck, face, and head
Samuel R. Fisher, MD	Head and neck surgical oncology, melanoma, and reconstruction; cutaneous facial cancers; endoscopic sinus surgery; salivary-gland tumors; nasal surgery; anterior skull-base surgery; pediatric otolaryngology
David M. Kaylie, MD, MS	Surgery of tumors of the skull base including acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma), meningioma, glomus tumor and cancers; stereotactic radiation for skull base tumors using BrainLab linear accelerator system (Linac) and gamma knife; surgical and medical management of chronic ear disease such as chronic ear infection, perforation (hole in ear drum), cholesteatoma; management of temporal bone trauma; facial nerve paralysis from Bell's Palsy, Ramsay-Hunt syndrome and facial nerve tumors including facial nerve schwannoma and facial nerve hemangiomas; surgical and medical management of hearing loss in pediatric and adult patients for conductive and sensorineural (nerve) hearing loss including cochlear implants, otosclerosis, Baha and hearing aids; surgical and medical management of dizzy patient including Meniere's disease, chronic dysequilibrium and vertigo, migraine-associated vertigo and positional vertigo
Liana Puscas, MD, MHS	Maxillofacial trauma, clinical research, thyroid and parathyroid disorders, head and neck microvascular reconstruction
Eileen M. Raynor, MD	Pediatric airway, neck masses, endoscopic procedures, multidisciplinary management of complex problems
Debara L. Tucci, MD, MS	Otologic, neurotologic, and skull-base surgery; evaluation and management of patients of all ages with hearing and balance disorders; middle-ear disease including tympanic membrane perforations; cholesteatoma; conductive hearing loss; evaluation of sensorineural hearing impairment and treatment with hearing aids and cochlear implants; temporal bone trauma and facial nerve injury; middle-ear and skull- base tumors such as glomus tumors and acoustic neuroma; evaluation and management of children with all ear-related diseases, including treatment of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss and middle-ear disease
David L. Witsell, MD, MHS	Voice disorders, head and neck oncology, sinusitis, obstructive sleep apnea, endoscopic sinus surgery, microlaryngeal surgery, nasal obstruction and nasal polyps, vocal cord dysfunction, botox