Professor of Otolaryngology/Director of Center for Sino-Nasal Disorders, and Academics Programs and Development, New York Head and Neck Institute.

110 East 59th Street (near Park)
Suite 10A
New York 10022
Telephone: 212-434-4500 patient appointments
212-434-4502 (personal office)
FAX: 212-434-4580

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Steven D. Schaefer, MD, FACS, is an international known Otolaryngologist with special expertise in minimally invasive surgery of the sinuses, nose and anterior skull base; that is, maximal preservation of form and function. As a Head and Neck Surgeon, Dr. Schaefer’s expertise evolved over the past thirty years to build upon his medical training to meet the needs of his patients and the application of new surgical technologies. As the Director of Otolaryngology at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, he initially focused on diseases and trauma to the larynx, and voice disorders. These interests lead to seminal publications on laryngeal trauma, appointment by the Governor of Texas to the first Texas State Board for Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, and later to the National Institutes of Health. Concurrently, he sought to combine his expertise in sinus surgery and anterior skull base surgery with the introduction of optical endoscope into the operating room. These unusual opportunities and skills have lead Dr. Schaefer to lecture and train more than 20,000 physicians throughout the world and at the same time, to learn from their experience and skills.

• Minimally Invasive Surgery of the Sinuses, Nose and Anterior Skull Base
• Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
• Frontal Sinus Surgery
• Endoscopic Orbital and Optic Nerve Surgery, Thyroid Eye Disease, Dacryocystorhinostomy(DCR)
• Repair of Spontaneous, Iatrogenic and Traumatic Cerebral Spinal Fluid Rhinorrhea and Encephaloceles
• Benign and Malignant Tumors of the Nose and Sinuses
• Laryngeal Trauma

Optical endoscopes both enhance the diagnosis and surgical treatment of sinusitis. Coupled with emergence of computed tomographic (CT) scanning, enhanced sinus imaging permitted the accurate diagnosis of infectious and neoplastic disease. In 1985, Dr. Schaefer was among the few American physicians to train in Europe and to begin to apply the concepts of minimally invasive surgery, also known today as functional endoscopic surgery to sinuses. As a consequence, he co-authored the first textbook on endoscopic sinus surgery in 1988 (Raven Press). The combination of magnification, illumination and the ability to operate at angles heretofore impossible with the surgical microscope or head light resulted in avoidance in selected patients of external or open approaches to the frontal sinus. In 1990, Dr. Schaefer was the first to publish on endoscopic frontal sinus surgery and in 2001, Professor Wolfgang Draf from Germany and he reported the largest and most comprehensive series of all forms of surgical management of frontal sinus disease (Laryngoscope, volumes 100 and 111). Consequently, much of his surgical practice in several thousand patients concentrates on frontal sinus surgery, complications of prior surgery, complicated sinus procedures and revision surgery. Despite the complexity of such surgeries, his surgical outcomes are the best ever reported in the world literature (see Laryngoscope, volume 116).
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Beginning in the late 1970’s, Dr. Schaefer initially employed open approaches through the face or orbit (eye socket), and later through the sinuses, to treat thyroid eye disease, trauma and optic nerve compression (see Laryngoscope, volume 98). After assuming the position of Professor and Chair of Otolaryngology at The New York Eye & Ear Infirmary in 1992, he had the opportunity working with outstanding ophthalmologist to perfect endoscopic intranasal (i.e., through the nose) procedures in several hundred patients to replace and enhance other methods of orbital decompression for thyroid eye disease (a.k.a., Grave’s Disease, see Laryngoscope, volume 113) and optic nerve decompression. Simultaneously, the same skills used in sinus and orbital surgery permitted Dr. Schaefer to develop minimally invasive endoscope dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) or drainage of the lacrimal duct into the nose for excessive tearing without the need for facial incisions. Working with his colleagues in ophthalmology and in Europe, these techniques are summarized by them in their recent textbook on lacrimal surgery (Springer, 2007).

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The biologic behavior of benign and malignant neoplasms, or tumors, of the nose and sinuses is very different. Benign tumors, such as angiofibromas and inverting papillomas, expand into adjacent organs such as the eye, brain cavity and seldom into the brain. These tumors require complete excision of the neoplasm with margins of normal tissue from the resection site confirmed by pathology. Malignant neoplasms invade adjacent structures and organ, requiring extensive resection and often radiation and/or chemotherapy. Given the range of neoplasms, Dr. Schaefer began in the late 1970’s to primarily employee open or external approaches through the face, sinuses or cranial cavity for both benign and malignant tumors (Laryngoscope, volumes 90 and 98; Amer J Otolaryngol, volume 1; Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, volume 89). Building upon his experience with extensive sinus surgery and the precepts of Professor Hugo Fisch in Switzerland, anterior skull base procedures were employed to resect neoplasms extending into the cranial cavity (Laryngoscope, volume 95). Concurrently, nasal and sinus tumor surgery evolved into endoscopic intranasal approaches. More recently endoscopic approaches were then utilized by Dr. Schaefer for pituitary and selective skull base neoplasms (see Arch Otolaryngol, volume 115; Laryngoscope, volume 110). Although the resection of many nasal and sinus neoplasms today can be performed endoscopically, years of experience have shown that no one approach is sufficient for the variety of tumors. Like other surgeons, Dr. Schaefer feels strongly that judgment comes from experience.

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