Head & Neck Surgery

Montefiore Einstein Head and Neck Surgery is an internationally recognized leader in providing comprehensive patient-centered care for all types of head and neck conditions, including cancers in both children and adults. Our multidisciplinary team of world-renowned experts specializes in managing all types of benign and malignant head and neck tumors, from the common to the most complex and rare. Our team of expert otorhinolaryngologists and head and neck surgeons specializes in minimally invasive robotic surgery for head and neck cancers while working closely with oncologists, surgeons and a multidisciplinary network of specialists, such as oral, plastic and reconstructive specialists, endocrinologists, pathologists, nutritionists, dentists, radiologists and geneticists. We’re ranked in the top 1% of all U.S. hospitals for ear, nose and throat, endocrinology, and cancer care according to U.S. News & World Report.

We are an international referral site for the most complex cases and work in close collaboration with the Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, which is among the elite 1% of National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S. We performed the world’s first transoral robotic total larynx removal in patients with cancer of the vocal cords and are one of only a few in the New York Metropolitan Area performing minimally invasive endoscopic larynx surgery for advanced-stage larynx cancer. With a research-driven and personalized approach, our specialists diagnose and treat cancer using advanced techniques to eliminate disease, preserve vital functions and enhance quality of life. Our division holds weekly multidisciplinary head and neck tumor board meetings. We also have a multidisciplinary clinic where patients with head and neck cancer can meet with their surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, nutritionists and other specialists all in one visit.

We use the most advanced imaging and diagnostic technologies, including high-resolution 3 Tesla (3T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET). The team utilizes minimally invasive image-guided biopsies, such as fine needle aspirations (FNA) and core needle biopsies (CNB), artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) for surgical planning and training and genetic and genomic testing to optimize precision care.

A full range of personalized and targeted treatments are available, including radiation, chemotherapy and newly emerging therapeutics, such as gene therapy and genetically targeted treatments. We are one of only a few centers nationwide to use high-dose brachytherapy for head and neck cancers. Our team employs adaptive planning, which involves adjusting radiation treatments throughout therapy based on each individual’s specific response to the treatment. Our 4D CT imaging system tracks tumor and normal tissue motion. Adaptive planning was pioneered by Montefiore Einstein Radiation Oncology. This allows us to personalize radiation treatment timed to an individual’s breathing cycle. We’re also one of a handful of centers nationwide to combine the most advanced radiation techniques, such as proton therapy and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), with personalized planning to increase the chance for a cure while minimizing toxicity and preserving quality of life.

If surgery is required, our multidisciplinary team of head and neck surgeons uses the most current and advanced surgical approaches available, including minimally invasive and robotic surgery, for faster recovery.

We utilize microvascular reconstructive surgery techniques, image-guided surgical navigation and 3D printing for preoperative planning.

We also specialize in a wide range of surgical techniques, including transoral laser microsurgery, transoral robotic surgery (TORS) and advanced reconstructive surgery. For individuals with skull/cranial base tumors, our Comprehensive Skull/Cranial Base Center is one of the first and few centers in the nation to routinely offer transorbital neuroendoscopic surgery (TONES), a minimally invasive brain tumor surgery performed through the eye, at times requiring minimal incisions, while preserving the patient’s vision.

Our team performed the world’s first transoral robotic total laryngectomy and the world’s first transoral robotic free flap reconstruction of the tongue base. We are widely recognized for our expertise and innovation in medical simulation, from otorhinolaryngology boot camps to in situ training to improve patient outcomes.

We are leading collaborative research and spearheading numerous studies and clinical trials, translating novel scientific discoveries into new diagnostics and treatments to help improve clinical outcomes and change lives. Through our clinical trials, our patients can access emerging technologies and innovative treatments that are otherwise unavailable.

Our researchers have made substantial contributions to the field of head and neck surgery with a unique focus on head and neck cancer genomics, epigenetics and molecular biomarkers to predict prognosis and disease progression. We were among the first to assess the temporal relationship between oral human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 detection and the risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Our scientists are employing immunotherapies and new drug combinations for head and neck cancers, investigating optimal combinations of radiation therapy with these drug combinations as well. We are also using novel methods to track tumor responses using imaging and blood-based biomarkers linked to next-generation sequencing of tumors, with the hope of finding ways to create highly personalized treatments.