Department of Head & Neck Surgery

Formed in 2022, the Department of Head & Neck Surgery was established with a vision to provide site-specific care for tumours of the head and neck region, the second most common cancers in India. Spanning subsites from the oral cavity, larynx, and pharynx to the skull base, salivary glands, thyroid, and face, this anatomically critical area demands extreme surgical precision while upholding oncological principles. The department delivers evidence-based, multidisciplinary care, performing around 300 major head and neck surgeries a year for patients across Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, and Maharashtra.

Highlights

Established in 2022 to provide site-specific care for head and neck cancers, spanning subsites including the oral cavity, larynx, pharynx, nose and paranasal sinus, skull base, salivary glands, thyroid, and face.

Performs around 300 major head and neck surgeries a year, serving patients from Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, and Maharashtra.

A wide surgical armamentarium from minimally invasive procedures — micro-laryngoscopy and trans-oral laser surgery — to major composite resections, reconstructive local and regional pedicled flaps, and microvascular free tissue transfer.

Evidence-based care through a multidisciplinary tumour board, bringing together surgical, radiation, and medical oncology, palliative and nuclear medicine, radiology, pathology, and oral & maxillofacial surgery.

Extensive supportive and rehabilitative care through speech language pathology, audiology, physiotherapy, respiratory and occupational therapy, dietetics, and psycho-oncology.

Active in ethical basic, translational, and clinical research through local, national, and international collaborations, with PhD opportunities for interested candidates.

A three-year M.Ch. Head and Neck Surgery superspecialty training programme, delivering quality training and didactic education to produce oncologists capable of comprehensive cancer care.

Faculty