The Department of Otolarygology at the Medical University holds as its mission the commitment to improving the quality of life of individuals and families through patient care, teaching, and the discovery of new knowledge. We believe that through the exceptional care of patients, the firm dedication to educating future otolaryngologists and the vital performance of research, the department is achieving its mission.

Faculty

The heart and soul of any department are, of course, its faculty. Our clinical enterprise consists of 16 full-time physicians, seven audiologists and five NPs/PAs. Our subspecialties include the following:

• Head and Neck Oncology
• Rhinology & Sinus Surgery
  
• Maxillofacial
• Otology & Neurotology
• Laryngology
• Allergy
• Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Pediatric Otolaryngology
• Sleep & Breathing Disorders

Our research enterprise consists of  eight doctorate level and three masters level scientists, representing the following subspecialties:

• Auditory Neuroscience
• Tumor Biology
• Voice and Swallowing
• Allergy & Immunology
  

Among their many other accomplishments, these faculty members have successfully competed for NIH and other government supported funding, worked closely with the Governor’s office on strategies for head and neck cancer prevention in South Carolina, and received both the University’s “Teacher of the Year” and “Clinician of the Year” awards.

Technology

The department recently expanded into new academic space, totaling more than 7,000 square feet. This consolidated area includes a library-conference room for administrative and educational meetings. Our state-of-the-art Dissection Laboratory is designed for multi-specialty use, including: temporal bone, sinus and microvascular surgery. The 11 laboratory stations are equipped with:

• Storz telescopes and hand instruments
• Anspach drills
• Zeiss microscopes
• Gyrus soft tissue shavers/drills
• BrainLab image guided equipment

Education

The Department’s growth has allowed our teaching mission to significantly expand, with a number of annual CME courses for practitioners and subspecialty conferences for residents.

Conferences & Courses

• Charleston Magnolia Conference
  
• Putney Lectureship Symposium
• Charleston Rhinology - Sinus Surgery Course
  
• Charleston Sleep Apnea Conference
• Charleston Temporal Bone Dissection Course
• Charleston Thyroid and Parathryroid Symposium
• Charleston Pediatric Airway Course
• Charleston Swallowing Conference
• Salivary Gland Endoscopy Course
  

Research

The Auditory Neuroscience division has a long and successful history of NIH funding, including a Program Project Grant now in its 23rd year. Our NIH support places us 10th nationally for departments of otolaryngology. The department's research budget for the fiscal year 2010 exceeded $5.5 million and involved the following major areas:

• Auditory Neuroscience
• Tumor Biology
• Immunology & Allergy
• Swallowing Physiology

Currently, the department is engaged in 13 head & neck cancer clinical trials and 16 other clinical trials representing almost all subspecialty areas.

Programs

The following centers of excellence have been established by the faculty. 

• Evelyn Trammell Institute for Voice and Swallowing, directed by Bonnie Martin-Harris, Ph.D. & Lucinda Halstead, M.D.
• Nose and Sinus Center, directed by Rod Schlosser, M.D.
• Head and Neck Cancer Center, directed by Terry Day, M.D.
  
• Airway and Aspiration Center for Children, directed by David White, M.D.
  
• Cochlear Implant Center, directed by Ted Meyer, M.D., Ph.D
  
• Snoring and Disordered Breathing Center, directed by Boyd Gillespie, M.D.
  
• Aural Atresia and Microtia Center, directed by Paul Lambert, M.D.

These Centers of Excellence offer superb multidisciplinary clinical care and provide structure for clinical and basic research and for teaching initiatives.