Continued on page 3 Continued on page 2 Message from the Chairman I t is a great honor or me to assume the position oInterim Chair othe Department oOtolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University oCaliornia, San Francisco. However, it is humbling to ollow in the ootsteps omy riend and mentor, David W. Eisele. We have seen so much positive change in our department throughout Dave ’s tenure, such as: doubling the size othe clinical aculty with outstanding physician recruitments; increasing the scope oour research with new basic scientists; and expanding the size oour residency program. Our department now covers every clinical aspect oOtolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery including: robotic surgery; endoscopic skull base surgery; microvascular ree ap reconstruction; endocrine surgery othe head and neck; sleep apnea surgery; ultrasound diagnostic capability; and, ocourse, cochlear implantation. We are extremely well positioned to provide high quality service to our community and to our university. N ina and Barney Cohen each came rom very dierent backgrounds . Barney grew up in an orthodox Jewish household in a steel town in Indiana, while Nina was raised by non- religious parents in Massachusetts. Y et, throughout their 69 years together they have always shared the same values. Married in 1943, they moved to Caliornia rom the East Coast at the end oWorld War II. “We didn’t want to upset either oour amilies by living closer to one or the other othem,” says Nina. “So we decided to move across country.” In her teen years, Nina noticed she was having a problem with her hearing. She was diagnosed with Otosclerosis, which causes an abnormal bone growth in the middle ear. Just beore she and Barney let or Caliornia, Nina had ear surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, where surgeons were experi- menting with a new kind oprocedure or patients with her condition. The surgery did improve Nina’ s hearing though she suered an inection or more than a year aterward. Couple Supporting the Future oOtolaryngolo gy – Head and Neck Surger y Barney and Nina Cohen have generously included the Department oOtolaryngology– Head and Neck Surgery in their estate plans. “We are so grateul or the Cohens’ generosity. Support like theirs will help the Department to maintain its position as one othe best in the country or clinical care, research and educational programs.” – Dr. Andrew H. MurrHeads Up! Summer 2012 1 UNIVERSIT Y OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO SUMMER 2012 | VOL. 9, ISSUE 1 News rom the UCSF Department oOtolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Message rom the Chairman 1 Donor Highlight 1 Minimally-Invasive Surgery 3 Pediatric Otolaryngology 4 Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery 5 Honoring Michael M. Merzenich, PhD 5 Education Program Update 6 Upcoming Events 6 General Otolaryngology Pediatric Otolaryngology–HNS Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery Rhinology and Sinus Surgery Sleep Surgery 415/353-2757 Cochlear Implant Center 415/353-2464 Facial Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery Practice UCSF Medical Center 415/353-9500 HNS–Facial Plastic and Post-Oncologic Reconstructive Surgery, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center 415/885-7528 Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology Head and Neck Endocrine Surgery Salivary Gland Center 415/885-7528 Balance and Falls Center 415/353-2101 Voice and Swallowing Center 415/885-7700 Audiology 415/353-2101 To support the Department oOtolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, please contact Development Director Justin Marsh at 415/ 476-5885 or [email protected].edu. In This Issue: Contact Us:
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
It is a great honor or me to assume the position o Interim Chair o the
Department o Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University o
Caliornia, San Francisco. However, it is humbling to ollow in the ootsteps o
my riend and mentor, David W. Eisele. We have seen so much positive change
in our department throughout Dave’s tenure, such as: doubling the size o the
clinical aculty with outstanding physician recruitments; increasing the scope o
our research with new basic scientists; and expanding the size o our residency
program. Our department now covers every clinical aspect o Otolaryngology-
Head and Neck Surgery including: robotic surgery; endoscopic skull basesurgery; microvascular ree ap reconstruction; endocrine surgery o the head
and neck; sleep apnea surgery; ultrasound diagnostic capability; and, o course,
cochlear implantation. We are extremely well positioned to provide high quality
service to our community and to our university.
Nina and Barney Cohen each camerom very dierent backgrounds.
Barney grew up in an orthodoxJewish household in a steel town inIndiana, while Nina was raised by non-religious parents in Massachusetts. Yet,throughout their 69 years together theyhave always shared the same values.Married in 1943, they moved to Caliorniarom the East Coast at the end o WorldWar II. “We didn’t want to upset eithero our amilies by living closer to one orthe other o them,” says Nina. “So wedecided to move across country.”
In her teen years, Nina noticed shewas having a problem with her hearing.She was diagnosed with Otosclerosis,which causes an abnormal bone growthin the middle ear. Just beore she andBarney let or Caliornia, Nina had earsurgery at Massachusetts GeneralHospital, where surgeons were experi-menting with a new kind o procedureor patients with her condition. Thesurgery did improve Nina’s hearingthough she suered an inection ormore than a year aterward.
Couple Supporting the Future o
Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
Barney and Nina Cohen have generouslyincluded the Department o Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery in their estate plans.
“We are so grateul or the
Cohens’ generosity. Support
like theirs will help the
Department to maintain its
position as one o the best in
the country or clinical care,
research and educational
programs.” – Dr. Andrew H. Murr
Heads Up! Summer 2012 1
UNIVERSIT Y OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO SUMMER 2012 | VOL. 9, ISSUE
News rom the UCSF Department o Otolaryngology –
Head and Neck Surgery
Message rom the Chairman 1
Donor Highlight 1
Minimally-Invasive Surgery 3
Pediatric Otolaryngology 4
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery 5
Honoring Michael M. Merzenich, PhD 5
Education Program Update 6
Upcoming Events 6
General Otolaryngology
Pediatric Otolaryngology–HNS
Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery
Rhinology and Sinus Surgery
Sleep Surgery
415/353-2757
Cochlear Implant Center 415/353-2464
Facial Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery Practice
UCSF Medical Center
415/353-9500
HNS–Facial Plastic and Post-OncologicReconstructive Surgery, UCSF Helen Diller
Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
415/885-7528
Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology
Head and Neck Endocrine Surgery
Salivary Gland Center
415/885-7528
Balance and Falls Center 415/353-2101
Voice and Swallowing Center 415/885-7700
Audiology 415/353-2101
To support the Department o
Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery,please contact Development Director
At age 30, Nina enrolled as areshman at UC Berkeley to studynutritional biochemistry. She wenton to get a Masters in Biostatisticsrom the UC Berkeley School oPublic Health and later on a PhD.
Nina remembers some o thecommercial hearing aids she worewhile she was at Berkeley; one shehad to attach to her glasses whichmeant she could only hear peoplebehind her. Eventually she hadone custom made, which made abig dierence.
In the early 1970s, Barney retiredrom Bechtel Corporation where heworked or much o his career, andthe couple headed out to Perth,
Australia. Nina was hired by theWestern Australian Institute oTechnology (now Curtin University)
to start two new courses: one innutritional biochemistry and one indietetics. In Perth, Nina had anothesurgical procedure on her middleear, a stapedectomy, which helpedimprove her hearing even more.
Ater our years, the couple decideto return home and did so the longway, spending nine months travelinthrough nine dierent countries.
Support to UCSF
Because o Nina’s challenges with
Otosclerosis and her desire tosupport the work o the UCSFDepartment o Otolaryngology, sheand Barney recently established acharitable git annuity or which,in addition to receiving an incometax deduction, they will also beentitled to receive income or lie.
The Cohens have also gener-ously included the Department oOtolaryngology–Head and NeckSurgery in their estate plans.The use o their annuity and theirbequest is unrestricted because,
as Nina says, “I preer to allow theDepartment to spend our git in away that makes sense at the time.”
“We are so grateul or theCohens’ generosity,” says AndrewH. Murr, MD, Associate Proessoro Clinical Otolaryngology at UCSF“Support like theirs will help theDepartment to maintain its positionas one o the best in the countryor clinical care, research andeducational programs.” n
In my role as Interim Chair, DeanHawgood empowered me to continueto improve and develop ourdepartment. I will devote mysel toulflling this directive through actionssuch as the ollowing:
n Active recruitments, including:
a head and neck endocrinesurgeon to partner with Dr. Orlo;a vestibular otologist to partnerwith Dr. Lustig’s group; a newDirector o Audiology to fll in orDr. Sweetow now that he is retired;and, continued increase o ourresident complement.
n Making use o cutting edge
technologies and acilities,such as: participation in the frstwave o development or our newcancer hospital and in thedevelopment o the UCSF BenioChildren’s Hospital (which arebeing constructed on scheduleand on budget); and, being parto the opening o the brand newSan Francisco General Hospital –which is arising beore our eyeson the ormer ront lawn o theSFGH campus.
I am so proud o our outstandingresidents who display an amazingesprit de corps. Our residents
are extremely accomplished andproessional, and I will commitmysel to continuing to ocus ourresources on creating the bestOtolaryngology-Head and NeckSurgery residency program in thecountry. This year, our phenomenalchie residents are pursuing diversecareers: Dr. Kangelaris will be joiningthe Schindler/Johnson/Yeung/Kimpractice here in San Francisco,Dr. Huoh will be matriculating inthe pediatric ellowship at Lucille
Packard Hospital, and Dr. Changwill be joining our own academicpractice here at UCSF.
From a clinical services standpoint:our Chie o Facial Plastic andReconstructive Surgery Dr. Dan Knottis extremely busy with aesthetic andreconstructive surgery; Dr. MarikaRussell has seamlessly integrated intothe San Francisco General Hospitalpractice; Dr. Will Ryan is an extremelybusy head and neck oncologic
Continued from page 1
surgeon; and, Dr. Matt Russell isblazing a trail as the OtolaryngologyHospitalist at the Parnassus site.
As a gauge o the excellence o ourclinical enterprise, our Head andNeck practice just received thehighest patient generated score orrecommending the practice to otherpatients in the entire University o
Caliornia, San Francisco, a trulyspectacular achievement!
From a research standpoint: wewelcome Dr. Andrea Hasenstaub, aKlingenstein Fellowship neuroscienceresearcher, who joins the Keck Centerand who will collaborate closelywith Dr. Christoph Schreiner. Ourrhinology team o Andrew Goldbergand Steven Pletcher has hiredEmily Cope, PhD as a postdoctoralscholar to pursue an initiative devotedto understanding the human biome
as it relates to sinus disease.Finally, we have just completed a
series o amazingly successul CMEcourses including the UCSF VoiceConerence run by Dr. Courey, theUCSF Otolaryngology Update, theUCSF–Penn Sleep Medicine andSurgery Course with Drs. Goldbergand Kezirian, and multiple UltrasoundCourses organized by Dr. Orlo.
I am very excited about our teamand our uture. We will continue toinnovate and collaborate. I will strive
to expand the oundation o successthat has enabled the continualadvancement o our department.
Sincerely,
Andrew H. Murr, MDInterim ChairmanProfessor of Clinical Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Roger Boles, MD Endowed Chair inOtolaryngology EducationDepartment of Otolaryngology–Head andNeck Surgery
Why don’t we appreciate thingsuntil we’ve lost them? Whilethis is true when it applies to
material goods, it is even moreimportant when it applies to one’sown body. Smiling is something thatwe most literally take or granted.There are thousands o expressionsthat a ace can convey with inections
provided by a subtle lit o theeyebrow, a ared nostril, or atightening o the jaw. Quite suddenlyhowever, all o these expressions, aswell as the ability to close the eye,speak, swallow or even breaththrough the nose may be swept away.
The acial nerve is a single cord-like structure that exits the brain stemater passing next to the inner ear andenters the ace in the sot tissue deepto the earlobe. It then divides andpowers all o the muscles o acialmovement. When the acial nerve isdamaged, through inection, stroke,trauma, cancer or surgery, one isessentially let without hal o a ace.This critical window to the worldbecomes wooden and droopy. Whilesome patients recover unction ontheir own, many are aced with lie-long paralysis. Social interaction isshunned, jobs are lost and relation-ships may be terminally stressed.
Traditional operations to repairacial movement required multiplestages, waiting periods o up to a
year or nerve grats to “take,” anddeorming contour abnormalities.However, with new techniques thathe has helped develop, Dr. DanielKnott, director o acial plastic andreconstructive surgery at UCSF,is able to restore meaningul andexpressive movement with immediateresults. Droopy eyebrows are lited,platinum implants are placed belowthe skin o the upper eyelid, the lowereyelid is tightened and the smile may
be restored with a muscle transer.Progress in this area has beenastounding, but much work remains.There is no single “answer” or everypatient, and nerve regenerativemedicine is one area that needsincreased research.
Lost smiles are not the only ocuso Dr. Knott’s clinical research. He
has also worked extensively in headand neck transplantation, cartilagebioengineering and acial contourrestoration. For example, imaginelosing your jaw. This may be astrange concept, but this was theate o an unortunate 15-year-oldcheerleader. Faced with a benign,but locally destructive dental tumor,this teenager underwent removal oher upper jawbone at UCSF 2 yearsago. Surgery resulted in removal ohal o her hard palate, all o theupper teeth on one side o her mouth,the shel o bone that supports hereyeball and most o her cheekbone.While her operation was curative,this young lady now must wear aspecially modifed denture in orderto speak or eat. This is quite achallenge or a high school studentwhose classmates worry more aboutacne, frst dates and frst kisses.
Dr. Knott is one o only a handulo surgeons in the country that isable to use part o a patient’s lowerleg bone to rebuild the bone and
sot tissue o the upper jaw, usingminimally invasive incisions and sottissue tunneling and underminingtechniques. Once healed, this bonesupports dental implants, and canreturn patients to complete normalcy.Dental implants are however veryexpensive and are rarely covered byinsurance. This young woman and heramily are currently trying to save upmoney to pay or the dental implantsto help und her upcoming surgery. n
Giving Back Smiles
Honoring MichaelM. Merzenich, PhD
On March 1, 2012, the
Department o Otolaryngology
– Head and Neck Surgery
presented a special lecture and
dinner in honor o Michael M.
Merzenich, PhD. The lecture,
presented by Dr. Merzenich,
himsel, was titled, “Cultural
Neuroscience: How brains change
humans and societies and societie
change brains and humans.”
Ater the lecture, invited guests
rom our dierent continents
attended a dinner to honor
Dr. Merzenich’s achievements
which have aected lives around
the world. A list o over 20 speaker
– many o whom are now leadersin technology and health sciences
themselves – told about their
experiences studying under the
tutelage o Dr. Merzenich, being his
colleague, and being his amily.
Dr. Merzenich’s eorts at UCSF
have led to great advances in
patient care and discoveries that
will beneft us all. One o the
greatest innovations in medicine is
due to the work that Dr. Merzenich
developed alongside a ormer
chairman o Otolaryngology – Headand Neck Surgery, Dr. Robert
this year’s NRMP residentmatch is any indication then it
is obvious that the word has
spread throughout the nation.
Our program combines a unique
esprit de corps with unparalleled
clinical and research experience
to create an exciting and
nurturing learning environment.
Welcome New Residents
This year, we competed against the
most outstanding and competitiveOtolaryngology–Head and NeckSurgery training programs in thecounty and matched threespectacular young physicians.Nicholas Dewyer, MD, is joining usrom the University o Michigan andhis wie will be matriculating in theRadiation Oncology program atUCSF. Jonathan Overdevest, PhD,MD, will be arriving rom theUniversity o Virginia, and MatthewTemplan, MD, will return home romUCLA to comprise our incoming
PGY-1 class.Meanwhile, please welcome Dan
Faden, MD, Shethal Bearelly, MD,Jerey Markey, MD, and MeghaParekh, MD, to their PGY-2 year.They are a spectacular class and thefrst o our classes with our residentsper year in keeping with our ACGMEapproved complement increase.
We will certainly miss our belovedchie residents, but no one istraveling too ar. Kevin Huoh, MD, willbe a pediatric ellow at Stanord,
Gerald Kangelaris, MD, will be
practicing in San Francisco, andJolie Chang, MD, will be a ull-time
aculty member in the department.We are very confdent in the skillsand physicianship displayed by thisoutstanding crew.
Program Support
We have been very ortunate thisyear in receiving generous supportor our education program includingtravel grants rom the American
Academy o OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery, rom theTriological Society, and rom manyindividuals. We owe a special debt
o gratitude to Dr. Robert and JanetSchindler and Dr. David and DianaSchindler who have contributedgenerously to support our Robert A.Schindler Surgical Skills Classroom.We run numerous courses through-out the year or the residents inthis acility and have also recentlyrun post graduate courses withcadaver dissections to ocus onskull base surgery.
Expanding Understanding
Finally, Anna Meyer, MD has been
successul in integrating severalotolaryngology-head and necksurgery lectures into the basicscience curriculum or all UCSFmedical students. Her lectures wereextremely successul based uponthe ormal eedback we havereceived. We know that Anna’seorts will increase the generalawareness o otolaryngology issueswithin the medical school and willlead to even more responsibilitywithin the undergraduate medical
education curriculum at UCSF. n
Department Interim Chairman and Editor in Chief: Andrew H. Murr, MD
Contributors: Matt Forbush, Jennifer Lo, Justin Marsh
Design: Laura Myers Design / Photography: Matt Forbush, Susan Merrell