The 20 Best Swallowing Difficulty Doctors Near Me in Maryland, US

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 a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 17 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Spasmodic Dysphonia, Laryngitis, Perichondritis, Endoscopy, and Laryngectomy. Dr. Akst is board certified in Head And Neck Surgery.

Marvin Lawrence is a Gastroenterologist practicing medicine in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Lawrence is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 18 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Swallowing Difficulty, Painful Swallowing, Berdon Syndrome, Diverticular Disease, and Endoscopy. Dr. Lawrence is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.

Allen Banegura is a Gastroenterologist practicing medicine in Catonsville, Maryland. Dr. Banegura is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 43 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Angiodysplasia of the Colon, Esophagitis, Gastrectomy, and Colonoscopy. Dr. Banegura is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Onwueme graduated with Distinction from Yale University with dual BSc/MSc degrees in chemistry and received MD and PhD degrees from Weill Cornell Medical College. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Clinical Fellow Harvard Medical School) and his Gastroenterology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is currently the Director of clinical trials at Woodholme Gastroenterology and has an ardent interest in the role of microbial metabolites in gut diseases. Dr. Onwueme prizes commitment to quality and compassionate patient care to which he devotes his practice. He has expert knowledge in gut microbiology and a special interest in diarrheal diseases, disordered gut motility, autoimmune and inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Onwueme is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 43 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Gastric Dysmotility, Diverticular Disease, Diarrhea, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy. Dr. Onwueme is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.

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 an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 17 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Spasmodic Dysphonia, Subglottic Stenosis, Perichondritis, Laryngectomy, and Endoscopy. Dr. Hillel is board certified in Head And Neck Surgery.

Christine Gourin, M.D. M.P.H., is a head and neck surgical oncologist and palliative medicine specialist who treats patients with head and neck tumors, including tumors of the skin, melanoma, oral cavity, larynx, oropharynx, neck, salivary glands, sinuses, and skull base. Dr. Gourin received her medical degree from the State University of New York-Health Science Center at Brooklyn/Downstate Medical Center. Dr. Gourin trained in General Surgery and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Vermont, followed by a fellowship in Advanced Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. She has authored over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, 24 book chapters and two books: Medical and Surgical Management of Thyroid and Parathyroid Diseases and The Johns Hopkins Patient Guide to Head and Neck Cancer. She is on the Editorial Board of The Laryngoscope and is a reviewer for numerous other head and neck surgery journals. Dr. Gourin is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in quality of care and outcomes with a lifelong interest in improved symptom management, communication, access to high-quality affordable care, and palliative medicine in head and neck cancer. She has an active head and neck surgical oncology practice and has been named to America’s Top Physicians and Best Doctors in America annually since 2005. She is the Director of the Johns Hopkins Head and Neck Cancer Supportive Care Clinic. Dr. Gourin is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. She is also highly rated in 19 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Laryngeal Cancer, Throat Cancer, Tongue Cancer, Laryngectomy, and Gastrostomy. Dr. Gourin is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine and Head And Neck Surgery.

Richard Andorsky is a Gastroenterologist practicing medicine in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Andorsky is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 16 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Crohn's Disease, Painful Swallowing, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy. Dr. Andorsky is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.

Ernest Tsao is a Gastroenterologist practicing medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Tsao is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 43 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Hepatitis, Gas Bloat Syndrome, Hepatitis C, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy. Dr. Tsao is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.

Preston Kim is a Gastroenterologist practicing medicine in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Kim is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 28 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Gas Bloat Syndrome, Lactose Intolerance, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy. Dr. Kim is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.

Loc Le is a Gastroenterologist practicing medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Le is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 25 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Barrett Esophagus, Colonoscopy, and Endoscopy. Dr. Le is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.

Steven Epstein is a Gastroenterologist practicing medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Epstein is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 30 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Juvenile Polyposis Syndrome, Cronkhite-Canada Disease, Gastrectomy, and Colonoscopy. Dr. Epstein is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.

Lauren Halvorson is a Gastroenterologist practicing medicine in Laurel, Maryland. Dr. Halvorson is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. She is also highly rated in 15 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Gastric Dysmotility, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Endoscopy, and Colonoscopy. Dr. Halvorson is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.

Gastroenterologist Mouen Khashab specializes in therapeutic endoscopy, and he oversees this group of practitioners across the Johns Hopkins enterprise. Nationally and internationally known in the field of interventional endoscopy, Dr. Khashab has contributed immensely to the field’s advancement as a minimally invasive means to treat gastrointestinal and pancreaticobiliary disorders. Dr. Khashab earned his medical degree from the American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine, and subsequently completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in gastroenterology at Indiana University. He then completed a two-year fellowship at The Johns Hopkins Hospital before joining the faculty in 2011. A busy researcher, Dr. Khashab has published more than 600 papers in peer-reviewed journals. In 2013, he described the procedure called gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy (known as G-POEM) and was able to disseminate and teach it all over the world. Other procedures that he expanded include peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), peroral endoscopic myotomy with fundoplication (POEM-F), Zenker’s peroral endoscopic myotomy (Z-POEM) and full thickness resection. In 2022, he received the Master Endoscopist Award from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) for his numerous contributions to the field. His procedural expertise includes endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), interventional EUS, submucosal endoscopy, POEM/achalasia, endoscopic mucosal resection, endoscopic submucosal dissection, luminal stenting, large polyp resection and Barrett’s therapy, among others. Dr. Khashab is involved with multiple gastrointestinal societies and has served on many committees, including the ASGE Standards of Practice Committee, which is in charge of formulating guidelines for the practice of endoscopy. He has also served as an associate editor for the journal Endoscopy, a premier journal in the field. Khashab is a highly sought-after speaker at national and international conferences, and he has participated in multiple live endoscopy conferences. Outside of academic medicine, Dr. Khashab is an entrepreneur. His major interest is in new technology and medical devices, and his goal is to disrupt the field by introducing technology that makes endoscopic procedures safer, easier, efficient and more scalable. Dr. Khashab is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 53 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Achalasia, Pancreatic Pseudocyst, Bile Duct Obstruction, Endoscopy, and Gastric Bypass. Dr. Khashab is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.

Naveen Gupta is a Gastroenterologist practicing medicine in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Gupta is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 33 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Gastrointestinal Bleeding, Gallstones, Choledocholithiasis, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy. Dr. Gupta is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Solowski received her medical degree from MCP-Hahnemann University (now Drexel University College of Medicine) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and did her residency training in the Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University in St. Louis. She then completed a laryngology fellowship at Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University in Augusta, Georgia. She sees both pediatric and adult patients with diseases of the thyroid/parathyroid glands, sinonasal diseases, head and neck cancers, and other general Otolaryngologic disorders. She treats skin cancers and performs MOHs surgery reconstructions. Dr. Solowski also specializes in treatment and care of recreational and professional voice users, to include singers, teachers, sales personnel as well as those with swallowing difficulties and reflux disorders. Dr. Solowski is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. She is also highly rated in 3 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Swallowing Difficulty, Painful Swallowing, Otitis, and Patulous Eustachian Tube. Dr. Solowski is board certified in Head And Neck Surgery.

Biju Alex is a Gastroenterologist practicing medicine in Columbia, Maryland. Dr. Alex is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 34 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Colitis, Viral Gastroenteritis, Portal Hypertension, Gastrectomy, and Endoscopy. Dr. Alex is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.

David Hutcheon is a Gastroenterologist practicing medicine in Lutherville, Maryland. Dr. Hutcheon is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 25 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Gastrointestinal Bleeding, Intestinal Cancer, Angiodysplasia of the Colon, Colonoscopy, and Endoscopy. Dr. Hutcheon is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.

Eric Blum is a Gastroenterologist practicing medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Blum is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 27 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Diverticular Disease, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Viral Gastroenteritis, Colonoscopy, and Endoscopy. Dr. Blum is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.

Claire Zhang is an Internal Medicine specialist and a Gastroenterologist practicing medicine in Elkton, Maryland. She has been practicing medicine for over 17 years. Dr. Zhang is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. She is also highly rated in 18 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Hemorrhoids, Tenesmus, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), and Endoscopy.

Thomas Abernathy is a Gastroenterologist practicing medicine in Catonsville, Maryland. Dr. Abernathy is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Swallowing Difficulty. He is also highly rated in 29 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Lactose Intolerance, Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Hemorrhoids, Gastrectomy, and Colonoscopy. Dr. Abernathy is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine.