Construction has started on the expansion of the Shadyside ENT office’s clinic, which will be the new home of the Head & Neck Division and allow for the long-awaited expansion of the Facial Plastics Division into a brand new, state-of-the-art space.
Currently, the Division is divided between the Shadyside and Oakland clinics. The move to Shadyside will unite the multidisciplinary head and neck team, and the proximity of the clinic to the Hillman Cancer Center “is expected to facilitate the multidisciplinary evaluation of our patients along with the Departments of Medical and Radiation Oncology,” said Seungwon Kim, MD, Director, Shadyside Hospital Otolaryngology Unit. “We anticipate the improved communication between these Departments will facilitate ongoing patient care and clinical research. Lastly, with the centralization of the Head & Neck Division at the Shadyside clinic, it makes sense to have the Head & Neck Survivorship Clinic in the same location.
Access is also being increased to the Shadyside operating rooms, making tissue collection and translational research more optimized, added Matt Spector, MD, FACS, Division Chief, Head & Neck Surgical Oncology & Microvascular Reconstruction.
Dr. Kim anticipates that the expansion of the clinic space will be the first step in the future growth of the Division of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, which works closely with the Head & Neck Division. The Facial Plastics Division is home to the UPMC Facial Nerve Center, which is dedicated to the treatment of patients with facial paralysis and facial nerve disorders.
Division Chief Christina Yver, MD, MBA, said the expansion will allow them to further streamline care for patients with reconstructive needs secondary to head and neck and skin cancers; patients will now be able to receive all their medical care in one space.
The Facial Plastics wing will feature five total exam rooms, two of which can function as procedure rooms for minor surgical procedures and minimally invasive treatments. Patients will also benefit from a dedicated photography and video room as well as a standalone private waiting room.
The Facial Plastics clinic will be directly connected to the Head & Neck Clinic space, allowing for maximum convenience for patients looking to coordinate their cancer and reconstructive care. The new space will also accommodate the spectrum of cosmetic facial treatments, including blepharoplasty, lip augmentation, and scar revisions, as well as the continually expanding minimally invasive offerings, including injections, dermabrasion, peels, microneedling, and laser therapy. Scar management and skin resurfacing “are extremely important following head and neck reconstruction in order to achieve the best aesthetic outcome,” said Dr. Yver.
The conservative estimate for seeing patients in the new space is late 2026. The timing will coincide with the addition of new Facial Plastics faculty in the fall of 2026. The total number of exam rooms will increase from 6 to 16.
“The Shadyside ENT office looks forward to becoming the core outpatient location for the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery,” Dr. Kim said.