Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery and Sleep Surgery (old 20201231)

Taking Care of You: Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery and Sleep Surgery

The Vanderbilt Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery and Sleep Surgery team has extensive training and experience in the management of sinus diseases. As national leaders in the field, we understand the full scope of issues that can affect the sinuses, including complex conditions. We create comprehensive patient care plans including diagnostic imaging, allergy and asthma testing, and both in-office and advanced surgical care.

Patient Care Excellence

Some complex conditions require additional expertise and skill, so our team works closely with the allergy and immunology specialists in the Asthma, Sinus, and Allergy Program (ASAP). We also work with the otolaryngologists in the Smell and Taste Center, neurologists, neurosurgeons, ophthalmologists, and physicians who specialize in pituitary disorders, sleep surgery, and skull base tumors.

Our specialists treat many nose and sinus problems medically. However, certain conditions can require surgery as part of the treatment plan. Our goal is to use minimally invasive procedures whenever possible, which gives patients shorter recovery times and fewer complications. Our team is often able to perform same-day minor surgical procedures in the office.

Conditions We Treat

  • Nasal allergies
  • Airway obstruction
  • Nasal polyps
  • Nasal and sinus tumors
  • Nasal and sinus congestion
  • Chronic sinusitis
  • Smell and taste issues
  • Deviated septum
  • CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) leaks
  • Skull base and primary tumors

Treatments and Services

  • Sinus surgery (advanced and revision)
  • Skull Base and Pituitary Surgery
  • CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) Leak Repair
  • Balloon sinuplasty
  • Drug-eluting stents and implants
  • Turbinate reduction
  • Septoplasty
  • Rhinoplasty (in collaboration with Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery)
  • Office-based Endoscopic Procedures

Innovations, Awards, and Technology

Rhinology service faculty are Principal Investigators for multiple NIH funded grants and externally funded grants from Epic Games and The American Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation.

Over the past year, abstracts submitted by our service to national and international scientific meetings have won Top 10 awards on four separate occasions, including "Top Abstract".

Both Dr. Justin Turner and Dr. Naweed Chowdhury are recipients of the Top Reviewer distinction from the International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology.

Dr. Rakesh Chandra was named editor-in-chief of Ear, Nose & Throat Journal. Dr. Turner is the Associate Editor of the International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology.

 

To refer a patient to the Vanderbilt Rhinology team, please call (615) 322-6180.

Our Team

Programs and Services

We also work closely with the following related programs and services:

Selected Publications

These publications are about our doctors (Vanderbilt publications) or by our doctors (Peer-Reviewed Articles) from the last 2 years. 

Vanderbilt Publications

  • Study tracks smell, taste loss associated with COVID (VUMC Reporter September 23, 2021) 
    Smell and taste loss (hyposmia) was one of the first recognized symptoms that indicated a person may have COVID-19. Eighteen months later, hyposmia is still a prominent symptom of the disease, with many patients not regaining full use of their senses for weeks or even months after recovering from infection. Continue Reading...

  • Risk marker for repeat sinus surgery (VUMC Reporter August 11, 2021)
    Endoscopic sinus surgery is a frequent treatment for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis — long-term inflammation of the spaces inside the nose and head — that does not respond to medical therapies. However, up to 20% of patients are at risk for repeat revision surgery. Continue Reading...

Peer-Reviewed Articles

(bolded names held primary faculty appointments in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the time of publication)