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About Quyen Nguyen, MD, PhD

Quyen T. Nguyen, MD, PhD, is a board-certified head and neck surgeon who specializes in neurotology, or the management of diseases of the inner ear, temporal bone, and skull base, including tumors and other conditions. Her main focus is in cochlear implants for hearing restoration and facial nerve surgery.

Dr. Nguyen is an expert in the evaluation and medical and surgical treatment of problems related to the ear, including exostosis ("surfer's ear"), tympanic membrane perforations, ossicular chain problems, otosclerosis, cholesteatoma, single-sided deafness, Ménière's disease, and acoustic neuroma.

As a professor in the Department of Surgery, she trains surgeons during their fellowship at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Dr. Nguyen's basic science research focuses on the development of fluorescently labeled biological probes to help surgeons during surgery. In collaboration with Dr. Roger Tsien (Nobel Prize, Chemistry 2008), she worked on the development of fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) with live molecular navigation, also known as "color-coded surgery". Their collaborative work has been highlighted by several high profile media sources including Nature Research Highlights, Nature Science Business eXchange, Nature Cancer Reviews, The Economist, and Technology Review (MIT).

Dr. Nguyen completed a fellowship in neurotology and a residency in head and neck surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine. She earned her medical and doctorate degrees from Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Nguyen is board certified in neurotology.

UC San Diego Health Links
For more information, see Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Care and Surgical Services.

Medical DegreeWashington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MODoctoral DegreeWashington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MOResidencyUC San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, CAFellowshipUC San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, CA
GenderFemale
LanguagesFrenchVietnamese
Date Joined Staff2007-10-04
Board Certifications
American Board of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck SurgeryNeurotology
Conditions and Treatments
  • Skull Base Surgery
  • Cochlear Implants
  • Otology
  • Facial Nerve Disorders
  • Implantable Hearing Devices
  • Acoustic Neuroma
  • Vestibular Schwannoma
  • Neurotology
  • Fluorescence-Guided Surgery
  • Facial Paralysis
ENT

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Videos

TED Talk with Dr. Quyen Nguyen: Color-coded surgery

TED Talk with Dr. Quyen Nguyen: Color-coded surgery

News

Donna's Story: Acoustic Neuroma Treatment at UC San Diego Health
Donna's Story: Acoustic Neuroma Treatment

When Donna was diagnosed with a rare, non-cancerous brain tumor, called an acoustic neuroma, she decided to take action and become involved in her health. She learned about her condition and searched, far and wide, for a care team that would be a good fit for her. In this video, she discusses her decision to come to UC San Diego Health for treatment and her road to recovery after a successful surgery to remove the tumor. Her story is empowering and gives us all strength to face into whatever comes our way honestly and with grace.

Open Payments Program Notification

For informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments web page is provided here. The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires that detailed information about payment and other payments of value worth over ten dollars ($10) from manufacturers of drugs, medical devices, and biologics to physicians and teaching hospitals be made available to the public.

View Open Payments Data for Dr. Nguyen