Otolaryngology, also known at ENT (ears, nose and throat) specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the head and neck. It also includes plastic and reconstructive surgery of the face and neck. ENT issues usually need to be addressed during childhood so choosing a pediatric-trained ENT specialist is important.

When it comes to your child, you want the most experienced specialists taking charge. Children's ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery is the only program in Minnesota that exclusively focuses on pediatrics. Our team of physicians has extensive training to care for the simple to the complex problems affecting the ears, nose and throat in infants, children and adolescents.

Children's is the only hospital in Minnesota to offer 24/7 access to a pediatric ENT specialist and our staff delivers every aspect of care with the unique needs of children and their families in mind.

Our program's areas of clinical research span the breadth of pediatric otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery as well as cleft and craniofacial care.

As part of that commitment, we have published the following papers in recent years in peer-reviewed medical literature.

At Children's, we work closely with other specialists to provide interdisciplinary clinics including cleft and craniofacial, plagiocephaly, vascular anomalies, velocardiofacial syndrome, head and neck cancer clinic, and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. We offer prenatal counseling for cleft and craniofacial conditions.

You may find additional information about conditions we treat using the links below. If you can't find what you're looking for, please do not hesitate to contact us for additional information.

While many diseases and disorders of the ears, nose and throat can be treated effectively with medications or other therapies, adequate treatment of some problems may require surgery. Often surgery will be recommended or discussed as a possible option only after medicines or other treatments have failed.

All of the physicians at Children's ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery program are fully trained pediatric ear, nose, throat and facial plastic surgeons who specialize in the treatment of infants, children and adolescents.

Children's surgical services perform more than 20,000 surgeries each year on fetuses, newborns, children, adolescents, and young adults from throughout the Upper Midwest.

Surgical treatment results rank Children's among the top hospitals in the U.S. in pediatric surgical care. Children's has some of the lowest rates in the U.S. of post-surgery complications and some of the highest rates of patient and family satisfaction. 

If one of our doctors has recommended surgery for your child, our staff will work with you to provide information about the procedure and answer your questions.  Eating and drinking guidelines prior to surgery.

As with all programs at Children's, the ENT and Facial Plastic Surgery program understands the unique needs of children and their families and works to uphold Children's commitment to patient- and family-centered care.

Children's radiologists use low-dose radiation protocols for tests such as CT scans to limit risks to patients. Nurses and laboratory technicians call upon their extensive experience working children to help put patients at ease during blood work or other stressful procedures.

And because many of our patients have complex medical conditions, we work closely with families to facilitate access to Children's many leading physicians in other specialities, including audiology, genetics, hematology/oncology and cardiology. All care is provided with direct access to patients' electronic medical record.

Such close coordination is not only more convenient for patients and their families, it fosters better and more comprehensive care.

Children's Physician Access offers referring physicians 24-hour-a-day live access to services and expertise at Children's - Minneapolis and Children's - St. Paul. This toll-free line offers a single point of access to representatives who will assist you with:

• Consultations with primary care physicians, and specialists

• Referrals, admissions, and transport services

• General Children's information, including services, programs, and locations

Call: 612-343-2121 or 866-755-2121

 Choosing a cleft & craniofacial surgeon

The Center for the Treatment of Eating Disorders provides evidence-based treatment interventions for eating disorders with an emphasis on collaboration with families and referring providers.

Children’s is the only hospital-based eating disorders program in the Twin Cities to offer immediate access for medical stabilization.