The 20 Best Acquired Tracheomalacia Doctors in Maryland, US

Alexander Hillel specializes in the medical and surgical management of patients who have scar tissue blocking their larynx and/or trachea, a condition called laryngotracheal stenosis. This condition occurs in patients who have had prolonged intubation, an autoimmune disease or a rare disease called idiopathic subglottic stenosis. He also treats patients with voice and throat problems, including spasmodic dysphonia and swallowing difficulty. After he earned his medical degree from the Tulane University School of Medicine, Dr. Hillel completed his residency in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a fellowship in laryngology and airway surgery at the Emory Voice Center. Dr. Hillel directs a laboratory that seeks to better understand why scar forms in the larynx and trachea. In an effort to improve treatment, he and his team investigate the relationship between the immune system, bacteria and other antigens and scar formation in the airway. He has led a number of clinical trials to improve treatment for subglottic stenosis, including the first interventional study for idiopathic subglottic stenosis. Researchers in Dr. Hillel’s lab are also testing drugs that may halt the progression of, or reverse, scar formation, and they have engineered a drug-eluting stent that is being tested to translate to patients with subglottic stenosis. He holds sponsored grants to conduct his research from the National Institutes of Health, surgical foundations and the medical device industry. In addition to clinical and research work, Dr. Hillel has a leadership role within the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, serving as the vice director of education. Dr. Hillel is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Spasmodic Dysphonia, Subglottic Stenosis, Perichondritis, Laryngectomy, and Endoscopy.

Laryngologist Simon Best specializes in voice and airway disorders, including the comprehensive care of professional voice-users and performers. He treats patients diagnosed with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), vocal cord paralysis, laryngeal cancer, precancerous vocal cord dysplasia, benign laryngeal lesions (polyps, cysts, nodules), and laryngeal and tracheal stenosis. He has expertise in the operative management of vocal cord disorders, including Blue Light laser surgery and office-based management of vocal cord papilloma, dysplasia and vocal cord paralysis. Dr. Best earned a medical degree from the Yale School of Medicine and completed residency training in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He undertook fellowship training in laryngology at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Best has a particular clinical and research interest in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis and sees patients from across the country for specialized care for this disorder. He offers operative and office-based laser for papilloma, utilizing the Blue Light laser, which allows for precise excision of papilloma while preserving underlying vocal function. Dr. Best is also a pioneer in the adjuvant use of bevacizumab for RRP, helping many patients break the cycle of repeated surgeries. The Best Laboratory studies RRP and the development of novel immunotherapies to target the underlying viral infection. This research is conducted in collaboration with the head and neck cancer and cervical cancer research groups at Johns Hopkins, which also study human papillomavirus-related diseases. In addition, Johns Hopkins is a site for ongoing clinical trials in DNA immunotherapy, the goal of which is to eliminate the causative viral infection that leads to RRP. Dr. Best is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Laryngeal Nerve Damage, Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis, Spasmodic Dysphonia, Laryngectomy, and Gastrostomy.

Uma Murthy is a primary care provider, practicing in Internal Medicine in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Murthy is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. Her top areas of expertise are Tracheobronchomalacia, Acquired Tracheomalacia, Familial Multiple Lipomatosis, Colonoscopy, and Endoscopy.

Van Holden is an Intensive Care Medicine provider in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Holden is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. Her top areas of expertise are Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC), ALK-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Squamous Cell Lung Carcinoma, Endoscopy, and Gastrostomy.

Ashutosh Sachdeva is an Intensive Care Medicine provider in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Sachdeva is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC), Pleural Effusion, ALK-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Endoscopy, and Advanced Bronchoscopy.

Dr. Yarmus is a Professor of Medicine and Oncology and the director of Interventional Pulmonology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine as well as the Vice Chair of Medicine for Strategy and Finance. He is an expert in the minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer and he leads the Interventional Pulmonary research program at Johns Hopkins with research investigating innovative minimally invasive device development and early-stage bronchoscopic treatments. He also has extensive experience in the minimally invasive management of malignant airway obstruction, complex airway management, pleural diseases and symptom relief with minimally invasive procedures such as indwelling pleural catheters and pleurodesis. Dr. Yarmus is a member of the Fleischner Society and a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians and the American Thoracic Society. Dr. Yarmus is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Pleural Effusion, Lung Nodules, Lymphofollicular Hyperplasia, Endoscopy, and Advanced Bronchoscopy.

Dr. Lee is a specialist in Interventional Pulmonary and serves as the Wang Interventional Pulmonary Fellowship Director. His areas of clinical expertise include interventional pulmonology, pleural disease, minimal invasive diagnostics and lung cancer at Johns Hopkins. He also has extensive experience in the minimally invasive management of malignant airway obstruction, complex airway management and difficulty airways. In addition, he specializes in the diagnosis and management of pleural diseases and symptom relief with minimally invasive procedures. He is a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians and the Johns Hopkins Master of Education for Health Professionals. Dr. Lee is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Pleural Effusion, Lung Nodules, Lymphofollicular Hyperplasia, Endoscopy, and Advanced Bronchoscopy.

Lee Akst, M.D., specializes in treating the larynx (voicebox), in particular the treatment of voice and swallowing disorders. He is a leading laryngologist in office-based procedures such as vocal fold injection augmentation, pulsed KTP laser treatment, and laryngeal botox injection. In the operating room, Dr. Akst specializes in phonosurgery for the treatment of vocal cord disease, with emphasis on voice restoration and improvement. A strong focus of his practice involves the use of pulsed angiolytic lasers, which allow for subspecialized care of laryngeal papillomas, laryngeal dysplasia, and early vocal cord cancers while preserving the quality and strength of the voice. Dr. Akst is a national leader in the field of laryngology and serves in leadership roles for the American Laryngological Association, the American Broncho-Esophagological Association, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. He lectures extensively on the treatment of laryngeal disease, teaching other physicians how to care for patients with voice and swallowing concerns. His research interests include the development of robotic laryngeal surgery, the study of voice and swallowing complaints in the elderly, and the advancement of pulsed lasers for the treatment of laryngeal diseases with a focus on leukoplakia. This provider is registered with the Florida Department of Health to perform telehealth services for patients in Florida. Dr. Akst is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Spasmodic Dysphonia, Laryngitis, Perichondritis, Endoscopy, and Laryngectomy.

Christine Argento is a Pulmonary Medicine provider in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Argento is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. Her top areas of expertise are Pleural Effusion, Lymphofollicular Hyperplasia, Lung Nodules, Endoscopy, and Gastrostomy.

Richard Battafarano, M.D., Ph.D., joins the Johns Hopkins Department of Surgery as director of the Division of General Thoracic Surgery and the first regional director of general thoracic surgery. He comes to Johns Hopkins from University of Maryland Medical System, where he was chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Battafarano specializes in the treatment of benign and malignant diseases and lesions of the chest, including minimally invasive operations such as video-assisted thoracscopic surgery (VATS) for lung and esophageal cancers. He also has a special interest in treating Barretts esophagus, emphysema, mesothelioma and paraesophageal hernias. The focus of Dr. Battafaranos basic and translational research includes outcomes in the surgical management of early stage lung cancer patients with neuroendocrine histology, optimal management of lung cancer patients with mediastinal lymph node metastases, and the effect of survivin overexpression in the development of esophageal cancer. Dr. Battafarano sees patients at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Johns Hopkins Health Care & Surgery Centers at Green Spring Station and at White Marsh. Dr. Battafarano is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Lung Cancer, Thymic Epithelial Tumor, Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, Gastrectomy, and Endoscopy.

Kevin Motz is fellowship-trained in laryngology and sleep medicine. His clinical practice focuses on the management of airway and voice disorders, with a particular emphasis on the management of laryngotracheal stenosis and idiopathic subglottic stenosis. Additionally, Dr. Motz sees patients with obstructive sleep apnea who are intolerant of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), offering surgical and nonsurgical approaches to care. His research interests include investigating immunologic mechanisms promoting fibrosis in laryngotracheal stenosis. Specifically, he is focused on determining how innate and adaptive immune cells influence fibroblast activation, function and, ultimately, wound healing in the larynx and trachea. In addition, Dr. Motz is exploring identifying unique physiologic biomarkers in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, which may predict a successful response to non-CPAP therapies. Dr. Motz is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Subglottic Stenosis, Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Gastrostomy, and Laryngectomy.

Cheng Zhou is a Pulmonary Medicine provider in Elkton, Maryland. Dr. Zhou has been practicing medicine for over 10 years and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. Her top areas of expertise are Lung Metastases, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Eosinophilic Asthma, and Emphysema.

Michael Vest is an Intensive Care Medicine specialist and a Pulmonary Medicine provider in Elkton, Maryland. Dr. Vest has been practicing medicine for over 25 years and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Pneumonia, Atypical Pneumonia, Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia, Advanced Bronchoscopy, and Endoscopy.

Dr. Joseph Park completed his medical training at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences as a Seven-Year BA/MD Scholar. He then completed his otolaryngology– head and neck surgery training at the George Washington University and a fellowship in laryngology at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital. Dr. Park specializes in the management of hoarseness including professional voice users, airway disorders, swallowing disorders, laryngopharyngeal reflux, laryngeal dystonia and other benign and cancerous vocal cord lesions. He is also interested in the treatment of head and neck cancer, thyroid/parathyroid disease, salivary gland stones and disorders and allergy/sinus disease. In his spare time, Dr. Park enjoys skiing, scuba diving, cycling and listening to music. Dr. Park is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Laryngitis, Laryngeal Nerve Damage, Perichondritis, and Spasmodic Dysphonia.

Dr. Stephen C. Yang is a professor of surgery and medical oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and The Johns Hopkins Hospital. In October 2008 he was named the first recipient of The Arthur B. and Patricia B. Modell Professor in Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Yang is an extreme supporter of medical students, being the only surgeon (amongst 20 chosen from the School of Medicine) for the medical student advisory Colleges system, and is the faculty sponsor for the Surgery Interest Group and the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association. Dr. Yang graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in Chemistry and received his M.D. degree from the Medical College of Virginia. He completed his general surgery residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and finished his cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia. He also completed a 3 year thoracic surgical oncology research fellowship at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. He currently serves on the Postgraduate Affairs, Medical School Admissions, Educational Policy, and Curriculum Reform Committees in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He served on numerous national and international committees for these organizations, and is the Taskforce Chair on the Looking to the Future Residency Scholarships for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons He is Editor of Practical Reviews in Chest Medicine and guest editor/ reviewer for numerous peer review journals. He is co-editor of the book Current Therapy in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, edited the esophageal surgical section in the 2nd edition of Atlas of Gastrointestinal Surgery with John Cameron, M.D., and series editor-in-chief of The Early Diagnosis of Cancer also editing the book volume of The Early Diagnosis of Lung Cancer. In 2001, he and his lung transplant team were featured in the ABC series 24/7 and is currently also being followed in the sequel to that series focusing in on resident and medical student teaching. This series as well as other experiences are still shown on the Discovery Channel. The extensive work in preparing an esophageal cancer patient for surgery on the BBC and the Discovery Channel. Dr. Yang's laboratory research interests include using molecular techniques for lung cancer screening and for molecular staging of micrometastasis to predict recurrence following surgical resection. His clinical practice and research covers the breath of general thoracic surgery in pulmonary and esophageal surgery, video-assisted and robotics thoracic surgery, mediastinal and pleural work, lung volume reduction surgery for emphysema, and work in geriatric thoracic surgery. Dr. Yang is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Lung Cancer, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Pleuropulmonary Blastoma, Endoscopy, and Thymectomy.

Amit Narula is an Intensive Care Medicine provider in Westminster, Maryland. Dr. Narula is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Lung Metastases, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and Asthma in Children.

Peyman Otmishi is an Intensive Care Medicine provider in Easton, Maryland. Dr. Otmishi is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Pulmonary Veno-Occlusive Disease, Bronchiectasis, and Lung Metastases.

Yashvir Sangwan is an Intensive Care Medicine provider in Salisbury, Maryland. Dr. Sangwan is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Lymphofollicular Hyperplasia, Pleurisy, Pleural Effusion, Advanced Bronchoscopy, and Gastrostomy.

Jason Birnbaum is a Pulmonary Medicine provider in Bel Air, Maryland. Dr. Birnbaum is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Lung Metastases, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Asthma, Gastrostomy, and Endoscopy.

Elizabeth Guardiani is an Otolaryngologist in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Guardiani is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. Her top areas of expertise are Laryngeal Nerve Damage, Spasmodic Dysphonia, Vocal Cord Dysfunction, Thyroidectomy, and Laryngectomy.