University of Kansas Medical Center

University of Kansas Medical Center 3901 Rainbow Boulevard Mail Stop 3010 Kansas City, KS  66160 Kiran Kakarala, MD FACS – Fellowship Director Andres Bur, MD – Fellowship Co-Director Shaya Johnson – Coordinator Program Website Videos: Words of Inspiration by Cancer Survivor and Author Greg Cheek

Number of Fellowships: 1 Duration (in years) / Type: 1 year clinical Faculty: Faculty: Yelizaveta (Lisa) Shnayder, MD – Head and Neck Surgery Kiran Kakarala, MD – Head and Neck Surgery Andrés Bur, MD – Head and Neck Surgery Omar Karadaghy, MD, MSCI – Head and Neck Surgery Erin Buczek, MD – Head and Neck Surgery Adjunct Faculty: David Beahm, MD – Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery Sufi Thomas, PhD – Director of Basic Science Research in H&N Cancer James D. Garnett, MD – Laryngology Prakash Neupane, MD – Medical Oncology Christopher Lominska, MD – Radiation Oncology Gregory Gan, MD, PhD – Radiation Oncology Ryan Morse, MD – Radiation Oncology Jason Sokol, MD – Oculoplastic Surgery Hinrich Staecker, MD, PhD – Neuro-Otology/Skull Base Surgery

 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Overview: The University of Kansas Medical Center is a 910-bed academic hospital that includes a 21-bed Neuro Intensive Care Unit and a 26-bed Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery ward. The catchment area for patient care encompasses the entire state of Kansas and western Missouri. All new cancer patients are presented prospectively at the weekly multidisciplinary head and neck oncology tumor board, which provides a consensus-based approach to treatment. This is the busiest tumor board at the medical center, discussing over 450 new or recurrent head and neck cancer cases annually. Additional multidisciplinary tumor boards include a monthly thyroid tumor board, a bi-monthly advanced cutaneous tumor board and a monthly sarcoma tumor board.

Objectives:

The Head and Neck Fellowship is a comprehensive one-year clinical fellowship designed to provide advanced training across the full spectrum of head and neck oncology. The fellowship emphasizes multidisciplinary management, advanced surgical techniques, and exposure to cutting-edge clinical and translational research. This comprehensive fellowship prepares graduates for leadership roles in academic medicine, clinical practice, and research, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and experience needed to advance the field of head and neck oncology.

Clinical focus includes:

• Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery
• Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery
• Transoral Robotic Surgery using the Da Vinci Single Port (SP) system
• Skull Base Surgery (anterior & lateral appraoches)
• Minimally Invasive and Complex Endocrine Surgery
• Transoral Laser Surgery of Larynx
• Multidisciplinary management of skin cancers, including melanoma, sentinel lymph node biopsy, and immunotherapy

Strengths of the Program:

This high-volume clinical program offers fellows an ideal balance of supervision and autonomy, preparing them for independent practice and academic careers in head and neck surgery and microvascular reconstruction. Strengths of the training program include:

• Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) Training: Experience in robotic surgery for benign and early malignant tumors of the oropharynx and larynx utilizing the Da Vinci SP system.
• Microvascular Reconstruction: Fellows perform more than 120 microvascular free flaps including fasciocutaneous and osteocutaneous radial forearm, ulnar, fibular, anterolateral thigh, subscapular system, and medial sural artery perforator flaps.
• Microvascular Laboratory: Equipped with microscope, microvascular instruments and synthetic vessels for training.
• Educational Opportunities: Participating in Grand Rounds, teaching conferences, journal clubs, and the annual Alumni Day research conference.
• Conference Support: Funding for attendance at national and international meetings and courses through the KU Head and Neck Fellowship Endowment.
• Elective & Research Time: One morning per week for electives (e.g., radiation oncology, medical oncology, head and neck radiology, and nuclear medicine) and one afternoon for research.
• Clinical Research: Access to a dedicated clinical research team, including 4 MD-trained research fellows and 2 clinical research coordinators, with funding opportunities up to $10,000 through the KU Head and Neck Fellowship Endowment.
• Translational Research: Directed by Dr. Sufi Thomas, an R01-funded scientist whose research focuses on the tumor microenvironment and mechanisms of radiation induced fibrosis.
• Global Outreach: Support for participation in a medical mission trip to a developing country.

Eligibility: Fellows must have completed an ACGME-approved residency in Otolaryngology, Plastic Surgery, or General Surgery and be eligible for board certification in their respective specialty. All applicants must be eligible for a medical license in the state of Kansas.

Fellows’ Duties/Responsibilities:

The Head and Neck Fellow is appointed as a Clinical Instructor within the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Key responsibilities include:

• Acting as a primary or assisting surgeon for complex head and neck ablations, microvascular reconstructive cases, transoral robotic resections, and skull base surgeries.
• Following the pre- and postoperative care of at least 200 head and neck cancer patients, with a focus on maximizing learning while promoting increasing autonomy.
• Teaching responsibilities include:
  • Instructing in the summer Resident Head and Neck Anatomy Course
  • Giving resident and medical student lectures
  • Grand rounds presentation
  • Research Presentation at the Alumni Day conference in June.
• Participating in teaching surgical techniques during complex head and neck resections and routine cases, including neck dissection, thyroidectomy, glossectomy and parotidectomy.

Research Opportunities: The fellow is expected to complete a research project to present at a national meeting and submit for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Participation in bi-monthly Head and Neck Research Meetings offers opportunities to engage in clinical research, grant writing, translational science and clinical trials.

Supervision, Teaching & Call: The fellow will take on didactic teaching responsibilities, including resident/medical student lectures, and at least one departmental Grand Rounds presentation. They will also be part of the attending call pool, taking 3-4 weeks of call per year.

PAST FELLOWS

• Dr. Ethan Craig (2024) is a Head and Neck Surgeon with Mercy Health in Saint Louis, MO.
• Dr. Chelsea Hamill (2023) is a Head and Neck Surgeon and Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at University of Nebraska in Omaha, NE.
• Dr. Thomas Gessert (2022) is a Head and Neck Surgeon with Gunderson Health System in La Crosse, WI.
• Dr. Andrea Ziegler (2021) is a Head and Neck Surgeon and Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Loyola University in Chicago, IL.
• Dr. Charissa Kahue (2020)is a Head and Neck Surgeon with Kaiser Permanente in Honolulu, HI.
• Dr. Amit Bhojwani (2019) is a Head and Neck Surgeon with Main Line Health in Bryn Mawr, PA.
• Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim (2018) is a Resident Physician at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL.
• Thomas O’Toole (2017) is a Head and Neck Surgeon at Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento, CA
• Marco Ayala (2016) is a Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction Surgeon at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, VA.
• Michael Deutschmann (2015) is a Head and Neck Surgeon and Clinical Lecturer in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
• Issam Eid (2013) is a Head and Neck surgeon at Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Jefferson, LA Levi G. Ledgerwood (2014) is a Head and Neck/Microvascular surgeon at Kaiser
• Permanente in Sacramento, CA
• Yogesh More (2012) is a Head and Neck/Microvascular surgeon at Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi.
• Mark Furin (2011) returned to his position of Chief of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland, Oregon.
• Konstantinos Kourelis (2010) has also completed an advanced fellowship in endoscopic/skull base surgery in Baltimore, MD. He returned to Patras, Greece to practice Head and Neck Surgery.
• Jeffrey Jorgensen (2009) is a Head and Surgeon at Prisma Health in South Carolina. He previously held academic head and neck surgery positions at the University of Missouri and University of Louisville.  academic Head and Neck/Microvascular surgeon at the University of Missouri/Columbia Department o