September 27, 2019
My journey that led me to Dr. St. John and the UCLA Head & Neck Center
By Cory 
Seven years ago, I noticed a small lump at the back of my throat. At a dentist appointment, I asked about it, and was sent to an ENT. The ENT sent me to have an MRI, and following that, I was sent to a surgeon at UCLA to discuss. At that time, I was told […]
Tags: Dr. David Rapkin, Dr. Maie St. John, Mind-Body group, parapharyngeal tumor, patient stories
April 22, 2019
By welshwitch
Copy & paste from Yelp: i’m just now searching online for Dr. Wang’s info to share with a friend, and am sad to see UCLA Head & Neck Surgery with 3 sad little stars. Friends, i have news for you: after a rocky start with the department back in 2010, i was blessed to land […]
September 19, 2018
By Libby
Dr. St. John is the rare type of surgeon who possesses both exceptional skill in the operating room and an extraordinary capacity for empathy and kindness beyond it. When we talked, she truly listened, and her entire team treated me with kindness and respect. When I was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer, […]
Tags: cancer, cancer treatment, Dr. Maie St. John, head & neck surgery, patient stories, surgeon
September 17, 2018
By uclahealth 
“I had a cholesteatoma, which is a growth in the ear that breaks all your ear stuff,” says Kenneth Sadler, who came to UCLA Health in 1995. “I’ve had five surgeries in the last 21 years and the cholesteatoma’s gone now. I’ve had surgeries to remove the cholesteatoma, but it keeps growing back. I still […]
Tags: cholesteatoma, Dr. Rinaldo Canalis, eardrum, featured, head & neck surgery, inner ear, middle ear bones, surgeries, surgery
August 24, 2018
By Nicole15
It was on the second week of June 2018 when I noticed a lump on the left side of my face between my ear and jaw as I was brushing my hair into a pony tail in front of the mirror. I immediately inform my parents about it. My Mom, a breast cancer survivor after […]
Tags: anesthesiologist, breast cancer, Dr. A. Shawn Veiseh, Dr. Akira Ishiyama, Dr. Maie St. John, Dr. Vishad Nabili, featured, patient stories, tumor, UCLA Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, UCLA Head and Neck
July 25, 2018
Maine basketball coach with rare hearing disorder crosses country for specialized surgery at UCLA
Out of the blue, Richard Barron, 49, woke up deaf in one ear. The University of Maine women’s basketball coach was ultra-sensitive to noise–the sound of someone loading the dishwasher was excruciating. Even stranger, Richard began hearing his bones creak and his eyelids move. Far worse was the noise-related brain fog that descended on him […]
Tags: body sounds, bones creak, brain fog, eyelids move, hearing loss, minimally invasive approach, nausea, poor balance, superior canal dehiscence; SSCD
June 22, 2018
By BobM
Before coming to UCLA, I was diagnosed with advanced stage cancer of the base of tongue with lymph node involvement. I was treated with chemo and radiation locally in the Palm Desert area. The initial post treatment PET scan showed residual/persistent cancer in the tongue and a lymph node. I was told to seek a […]
Tags: advanced stage cancer, chemo, Dr. Maie St. John, featured, head and neck cancer, hospice, lymph node, patient stories, PET scan, radiation, reconstructive surgeon, surgery
April 13, 2018
Metastatic kidney cancer to the neck
By P
On March of 2017 I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive kidney cancer (collecting duct carcinoma) that had metastasized to my neck through my lymphatic system. I was diagnosed at UCLA after leaving city of Hope, where I was originally misdiagnosed in June 2016 (was told it was a kidney cyst). I started an […]
Tags: CT scan, double chemo therapies, Dr. Alexandra Drakaki, Dr. Amar Kishan, Dr. Karim Chamie, Dr. Maie St. John, enlarged lymph node, immunotherapy treatment, kidney cancer, kidney cyst, kidney surgery, lymphatic system
March 30, 2018
By Smo56
I have to give credit to Team Dr. Isaac Yang and Dr. Quinton Gopen. When I found out that I had SSCD, I did my research… I know that I made the right choice.. They are the most compassionate Dr’s and really care about their patients… I will forever be so grateful to them especially […]
Tags: Doctors Day, Dr. Isaac Yang, Dr. Quinton Gopen, patient stories, SSCD
March 27, 2018
By Brandy76
I wanted to recognize and thank my ENT provider, Dr Joel Sercarz for not giving up on me. He has done a few sinus procedures on me and has the patience of a saint. I don’t have the most cooperative body when it comes to healing, but he has never given up on me and […]
