Dr. Jeffrey Ahn is one of the leading head and neck surgeons in the world, with over twenty years of clinical experience and a long record of academic leadership. As Director of Sleep Disorder & Robotic Surgery and Assistant Professor of Clinical Otolaryngology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, Dr. Ahn has dedicated his career to pioneering approaches in the treatment of sinusitis, snoring, and sleep apnea.

Mission and Specialities

Patient comfort is at the heart of Dr. Ahn’s academic work and private practice. Over the years, he has been at the forefront of developing minimally invasive head and neck procedures that reduce patient discomfort and make patient recovery time shorter and less painful. Moreover, his additional fellowship training in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery means that he is particularly skilled in reducing the visible impact, as well as the physical discomfort, of head and neck surgery. Dr. Ahn was the first surgeon in the United States to use the coagulating agent Costasis to control bleeding during nasal and sinus surgeries; this spared patients from undergoing painful post-operative packing. Since 2005, Dr. Ahn has been performing balloon sinuplasty, a minimally invasive method whose endoscopic, catheter-based technology has vastly improved and shortened the patient recovery experience. Currently, Dr. Ahn is involved in stem cell research for connective tissue engineering in head and neck reconstruction, and in the research and development of head and neck robotic surgery.

Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery

Dr. Ahn was among the first surgeons in the world to perform da Vinci® transoral robotic surgeries (TORS) for obstructive sleep apnea. While leading the Sleep Disorder & Robotic Surgery division at Columbia University Medical Center, he was the first surgeon in the New York metropolitan area to specialize in the procedure, and has performed more TORS for obstructive sleep apnea than any surgeon in the area. Meanwhile, he has innovated a method within TORS that focuses not only on tongue reduction but also on modification of the epiglottis, thus improving the surgery’s success rate.

Background and Training

Dr. Ahn received his medical degree from Columbia University, College of Physicians & Surgeons, and did his internship training in General Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center. His residency training in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery was also at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Ahn then underwent fellowship training in Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at New York University Medical Center.

After the training Dr. Ahn returned to Columbia University Medical Center as a full-time faculty member in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. Since then he has served as the Director of Residency Training in the department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery for twelve years and the Director of the 4th Year Medical Student Rotation in the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia University for ten years.

Titles and Offices Held

Dr. Ahn’s current titles at Columbia University Medical Center include Director of Sleep Disorder Surgery and Director of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He has over 20 years of clinical experience, and is also currently involved in the research and development of robotic sinus surgeries, and in stem cell research for the production of cartilages used in head and neck reconstruction at Columbia University.

Schedule an Appointment or a Consult with Dr. Ahn

Call (212) 714-9494