Divisions

The division of audiology specializes in the evaluation and treatment of patients with disorders of hearing and balance. The UK HealthCare audiology program offers a full range of audiology services. Audiometric tests include both basic and advanced diagnostic testing, including hearing evaluation, electrophysiological assessment and balance assessment for both pediatric and adult patients. The neuroaudiology program provides patients with diagnostic services of auditory processing disorders. A comprehensive rehabilitation program is available that includes assistive listening devices and hearing aid evaluation, consultation and fitting. Additionally, there is a comprehensive cochlear implant program, which provides services to patients of all ages. The following conditions are addressed:

• Congenital and acquired hearing loss
• Auditory processing disorders in children and adults
• Vertigo (dizziness)
• Tinnitus (chronic ear ringing) 

The following services are provided:

• Hearing aids
• Audiometric evaluations
• Balance testing
• Cochlear implants
• Auditory processing disorder
• Tinnitus

Testing and treatment occur in close conjunction with physicians within the department of otolaryngology. We understand the frustration associated with disorders that affect your hearing and balance. Our goal is to provide outstanding, patient-centered care using a multidisciplinary approach.

To schedule an appointment with one of our clinicians, please contact the Audiology Clinic at 859-257-3390.

The division of facial plastic surgery treats patients with cosmetic and functional disorders affecting the skin, eyes, ears, nose, lips, and chin. All patients undergo a comprehensive assessment by fellowship-trained physicians experienced in detecting anatomical changes resulting in both functional and structural abnormalities. Patients are then counseled on the various treatment options, with a focus on providing the highest standard of individualized care. Patients benefit from the convenience of our in-clinic operative suite, which is commonly utilized for less-complex procedures.   

The following services are available:

• Facial filler and botulinum toxin (Botox) injections
• Rhytidectomy (face lift) 
• Brow lift
• Upper and lower eyelid blepharoplasty (correction of baggy eyes)
• Facial reanimation (correction of facial paralysis)
• Otoplasty
• Correction of nasal obstruction
• Septorhinoplasty
• Chin implants
• Correction of defects following cancer surgery
• Scar revision
• Facial fracture repair 

Our division is fully committed to addressing all your concerns while providing quality care that fulfills your goals and expectations. More information can be accessed at UK HealthCare.

To schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, please contact the Facial Plastic Surgery Clinic at 859-257-5405 or the Aesthetics Center at 859-257-7171.

The division of general otolaryngology physicians care of both adults and children suffering from a wide range of diseases affecting the ears, nose, and throat. Common patient problems include:

• Common ear infections, including otitis externa and media
• Hearing loss, tinnitus, and balance disorders
• Sinusitis and allergy
• Nasal obstruction
• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders
• Acute and chronic tonsillitis
• Salivary gland disease
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Thyroid disease
• Disorders of speech and swallowing

Enhanced patient care is delivered at our fully-equipped Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic with ready access to ancillary services, including allergists, audiologists, and speech-language pathologists. Patients may also schedule an appointment at outlying clinics in Morehead, Mount Sterling, and Mt. Vernon.

To schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, please contact the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic at 859-257-5405.  

The division of head and neck cancer surgery manages individuals diagnosed with both benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck. Patients are evaluated and treated in the Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Clinic within the Markey Cancer Center. This multidisciplinary clinic is a tertiary-referral center with a tremendous patient volume. Our location, adjacent to both the radiation medicine and medical oncology clinics, fosters communication between physicians caring for patients with these complex diseases. Patients also benefit from in-clinic access to speech-language pathologists specialized in speech and swallow rehabilitation both during and after treatment. 

Division faculty members are fellowship-trained surgical oncologists specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of cancers affected all areas of the head and neck. Patients receive the most current surgical techniques available, including microvascular free flap reconstruction, trans-oral robotic surgery (TORS), endoscopic skull base surgery, laser surgery, and airway reconstructive surgery. 

In addition to clinical duties, our physicians are actively engaged in both clinical and basic science research examining quality-of-life issues affecting head and neck cancer patients, and the development, behavior, and treatment of specific tumors. Studies performed in collaboration with both the departments of radiation medicine and medical oncology have improved our ability to efficiently diagnose and treat cancer patients. In fact, we are proud to be the only National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer center in Kentucky. This national recognition allows our physicians to treat newly-diagnosed patients with the latest therapies available. Patients are also eligible to participate in cutting-edge clinical trials featuring treatments unavailable at most other institutions.

To schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, please contact the Markey Cancer Center Head and Neck Surgery Clinic at 859-257-4488.

Markey Cancer Center Website

The division of laryngology and bronchoesophagology specializes in treating disorders affecting communication, breathing, and swallowing. We provide a wide variety of clinical and surgical services, frequently in collaboration with the division of speech-language pathology. Our physicians are specialized in managing the following problems:

• Chronic hoarseness and chronic idiopathic cough
• Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Vocal fold nodules and polyps
• Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP)
• Presbylarynx (vocal fold atrophy associated with aging)
• Vocal fold paresis and paralysis
• Laryngeal trauma
• Spasmodic and muscle-tension dysphonia
• Tracheal stenosis
• Zencker’s diverticula
• Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and odynophagia (painful swallowing)
• Globus pharyngeus (foreign body sensation in the throat) 

Oftentimes, our expert clinicians evaluate and treat vocal performance majors within the University of Kentucky School of Music. We are on-call and available to voice majors at any time, and take pride in their trust prior to a performance. By providing multidisciplinary, individualized care, we hope to gain your confidence as one of our many satisfied patients.

The division of speech-language pathology is comprised of clinicians within the University of Kentucky Division of Communications Sciences and Disorders. These health care professionals are specialized in the evaluation and treatment of disorders related to speech and/or voice production, language comprehension, and swallowing. Special focus is given to rehabilitation for patients with the following conditions:

• Problems with articulation, including stuttering
• Communication difficulties associated with developmental delay, learning disabilities, cognitive impairment, and neurologic disorders 
• Poor voice quality owing to vocal fold nodules, spasmodic dysphonia, and muscle-tension dysphonia 
• Professional voice training exercises 
• Vocal rehabilitation following head and neck surgery 
• Post-laryngectomy communication, including tracheo-esophageal puncture (TEP) device fitting and replacement 
• Management of chronic aspiration 

All division faculty are highly experienced and board certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (CCC-SLP or CCC-A). Our practice locations include the Clinical Voice Center within the Kentucky Clinic and the Speech-Language Pathology suite within the Markey Cancer Center. Our facilities feature state-of-the-art laryngeal imaging and phonatory testing technology, and are conveniently located adjacent to the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic and the Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Clinic.

To schedule an appointment with one of our clinicians, please the Voice Clinic (Kentucky Clinic) at 859-257-0143 or the Speech-Language Pathology Clinic (Markey Cancer Center) at 859-257-4488.

The division of otology, neurotology, and cranial base surgery provides comprehensive care for disorders of the ear, hearing, and the vestibular system.  Care is delivered by a multidisciplinary team that includes fellowship-trained neurotologists working alongside advanced practice providers, allowing for coordinated, efficient evaluation and treatment of both routine and complex conditions. We offer both surgical and non-surgical care and serve as a tertiary referral center for patients across Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and Tennessee.

In close partnership with audiology, we care for patients with the following conditions:

• Chronic ear disease and middle ear pathology, such as recurrent infections of the ear canal and middle ear, eardrum perforations, and cholesteatoma
• Hearing loss disorders, including congenital and acquired sensorineural loss as well as conductive hearing problems related to ossicular abnormalities and otosclerosis
• Tumors and disorders of the ear and skull base, including benign lesions such as vestibular schwannoma, glomus tumors, and CSF leaks and encephaloceles, as well as malignant (cancerous) neoplasms
• Facial nerve problems including weakness or paralysis from facial nerve tumors and temporal bone trauma
• Vestibular disorders (the vestibular system is one of the body’s balance systems), such as Ménière’s disease and peripheral vestibulopathies

The surgical and non-surgical services we offer are similarly structured around these core areas:

• Chronic ear surgery and reconstruction, including tympanoplasty, mastoidectomy, including canal wall down mastoidectomy
• Comprehensive hearing rehabilitation, ranging from advanced audiologic evaluation and hearing aids to surgical options such as stapedotomy/stapedectomy, ossicular chain reconstruction, bone-anchored devices, and cochlear implantation (link to cochlear implant team page)
• Skull base tumor and disease management, including microsurgical resection and stereotactic radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma, glomus tumors, CSF leaks and lateral skull base encephaloceles, as well as multidisciplinary care for malignant skull base tumors; for many of these, we work in collaboration with Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery and Neurosurgery
• Vestibular evaluation and treatment, including specialized balance testing (vestibulonystagmogram), referral to vestibular rehabilitation, and select surgical interventions for peripheral vestibular disorders

Our division is also deeply committed to research and outreach. Ongoing efforts focus on improving access to hearing care for underserved populations, auditory processing disorders, and factors affecting outcomes in cochlear implantation. We are particularly proud of our comprehensive cochlear implantation program, which serves as a primary referral center for children born with hearing loss across Kentucky. Our team has extensive experience with all FDA-approved cochlear implant systems and provides longitudinal care from implantation through programming and rehabilitation.

Through this integrated, team-based approach, we aim to deliver highly specialized care while improving access and outcomes for patients with disorders of hearing and the vestibular system throughout the region.

Pediatric otolaryngology at the University of Kentucky and Golisano's Children’s Hospital at UK is dedicated to providing high-quality, family-centered care for all of your child’s ear, nose and throat needs. We believe that effectively treating pediatric patients requires meticulous attention, not only to the medical and surgical aspects of the care, but also to the emotional needs of children and their families.

Our surgeons have completed ENT residency in addition to an extra year of training in a pediatric ENT fellowship focusing on complex ear, nose and throat disorders in infants, children and adolescents. Our surgeons perform more than 2,000 surgeries every year, from ear tubes and tonsillectomies to complex airway reconstruction and cochlear implantation. We work with you to create a specialized healthcare plan based on what is best for your child’s health.

We see patients in Lexington and in Morehead. Our surgeries are performed in Lexington at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital, primarily at the Center for Advanced Surgery in addition to some procedures at the Lexington Surgery Center. Kentucky Children’s Hospital’s features a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for care of the infants with complex health issues that was recently relocated to a brand-new state-of-the-art facility. There is also a recently renovated pediatric inpatient floor and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for the care of critical problems in young children and adolescents. To schedule an appointment with one of our physicians, please contact the Ear, Nose, and Throat Clinic at 859-257-5405.

We provide care for a variety of diseases and disorders from the common to the uncommon including:

• Airway papillomatosis
• Adenoid hypertrophy
• Allergic rhinitis
• Ankyloglossia/tongue tie
• Branchial cleft cyst
• Choanal atresia
• Cholesteatoma
• Chronic cough
• Cleft lip and palate
• Deafness
• Ear malformations
• Failed newborn hearing screening
• Feeding and swallowing Issues
• Foreign objects in the ear, nose, or throat
• Head and neck hemangiomas, tumors, and vascular malformations
• Hoarseness
• Laryngeal Clefts
• Laryngomalacia
• Lymphadenopathy/enlarged lymph nodes
• Nasal obstruction
• Nasal dermoids/gliomas
• Otitis media/ear infections and otitis external
• Pyriform aperture stenosis
• Salivary gland disease
• Sensorineural hearing loss
• Sialorrhea
• Sinusitis
• Sleep Apnea
• Stridor/Noisy breathing
• Subglottic and tracheal stenosis
• Thyroglossal duct cyst
• Thyroid enlargement or nodules
• Tonsillitis, recurrent and tonsillar hypertrophy
• Tracheosophgeal fistula
• Tracheostomy dependence
• Tympanic membrane perforation
• Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI)
• Vocal cord paralysis

The division of rhinology and allergy treats patients suffering from a variety of disorders affecting the nose and sinuses. Brett Comer, MD, FARS, and Alok T. Saini, MD, are fellowship-trained rhinology and anterior skull base surgeons, meaning that they have completed a 5-year general otolaryngology residency and a 1-year fellowship dedicated solely to rhino-logic and anterior skull base conditions. We have a wealth of experience with both medical and surgical management of the following conditions:

• Chronic sinusitis
• Nasal Polyps
• Nasal obstruction
• Olfactory dysfunction (decreased or altered sense of smell)
• Allergic and non-allergic rhinitis (runny nose)
• Septal deviation and perforation
• Cosmetic deformities and nasal trauma
• Paranasal sinus tumors
• Cerebrospinal Fluid leaks

The following services are provided:

• Primary and revision endoscopic sinus surgery
• Balloon dilation of the sinuses
• Allergy testing and immunotherapy (allergy shots)
• Septoplasty and correction of septal perforation
• Functional and cosmetic septorhinoplasty