Ansley Roche, MD, is a surgeon who specializes in otolaryngology, which focuses on managing head and neck conditions.
Dr. Roche often sees patients with benign or malignant diseases affecting the ear, sinuses, larynx, pharynx, oral cavity, thyroid and parathyroid glands, and salivary glands. She also performs microvascular reconstruction, a technique for rebuilding the face using blood vessels, bone, and tissue.
Recognizing that head and necks cancer can impact eating, speaking, breathing, and other aspects of life, Dr. Roche says she finds it rewarding to help patients restore these critical functions. And thanks to advances in robotic surgery for oropharyngeal cancer (which affects a certain area of the throat), patients have fewer treatment side effects and are living longer, she adds. Other advances include free tissue transfer, in which tissue is transplanted from one part of the body to reconstruct the head and neck after a tumor is removed.
As part of the Head and Neck Cancers Program at Smilow Cancer Hospital, Dr. Roche works closely with all of her patients’ providers, including radiation and medical oncologists, and speech pathologists, to tailor treatment plans and goals.
Dr. Roche’s research is focused on surgical airway education, functional and survival outcomes for patients with head and neck cancers, and improving how care is delivered for these cancers.
