Dr. Michael V. Medina

Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery

Dr. Michael Medina is a board-certified otolaryngologist and internationally recognized expert in head and neck surgery. His clinical focus includes complex thyroid and parathyroid surgery, oncologic and reconstructive head and neck surgery, minimally invasive approaches, and advanced surgical management of obstructive sleep apnea.

Born in Manila, Philippines, Dr. Medina graduated from the Philippine Science High School in 1988 and was one of only 40 students nationwide chosen from over 20,000 applicants for the University of the Philippines College of Medicine’s elite accelerated “Intarmed” program.

He completed internship and residency training in Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the Philippine General Hospital and became board certified by the Philippine Board of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. Seeking advanced expertise, he trained in the United States under Dr. John Lore Jr. (author of the Atlas of Head and Neck Surgery) and completed a two-year fellowship in ablative and reconstructive head and neck surgery at the University of Miami, where he also conducted research in photodynamic therapy and sentinel lymph node biopsy.

To qualify for U.S. practice, he undertook further training: a surgical internship at Columbia University, followed by a full residency in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Temple University Hospital, where he served as Chief Resident—an uncommon achievement for an international graduate in such a competitive specialty.

He began his faculty career at the University of Florida, training residents and medical students, and later joined Cleveland Clinic Florida to develop its Head and Neck Surgical Oncology Program. At Cleveland Clinic, he introduced advanced surgical techniques including Transoral Robotic Surgery, sentinel lymph node biopsy with combined radio-guidance and indocyanine green, and novel reconstructive approaches. For more than a decade, he co-directed the institution’s busiest cancer tumor board and became one of the region’s highest-volume hypoglossal nerve implant (Inspire) surgeons for sleep apnea.

Board-certified in the United States since 2010, Dr. Medina achieved the Focused Practice Designation in Adult Complex Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery in 2025, the highest credential available to thyroid and parathyroid surgeons through the American Board of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and the American Board of Surgery.

He has held leadership roles as Site Director for multiple Cleveland Clinic campuses, served on hospital committees, and was Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine (2016–2025). Nationally and internationally, he is a sought-after speaker, presenting at the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, the American Head and Neck Society, the Pan-American Congress of Otorhinolaryngology, and academic meetings across Latin America and Asia.

Fluent in English, Spanish, and Filipino (Tagalog), Dr. Medina enjoys traveling with his wife (an orthodontist and sleep dentist) and their son. He is also passionate about cooking “East-meets-West” fusion cuisine with a health-conscious twist, Latin dancing, and playing baseball with his son.

Academic Contributions (Appendix)

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

• Hernandez L, Trelles-Garcia D, Medina M, Sarna K, Smolley L, Hadeh A. Effectiveness of Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation Therapy in Positional Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Retrospective Observational Study. J Clin Med. 2025;14(16):5873.

• Smith T, Ferri FA, Frieder J, Montorfano L, Medina M. Detection of Sentinel Lymph Nodes Using Indocyanine Green After Failing Scintigraphy in Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Cureus. 2023;15(5).

• Montorfano L, Bordes SJ, Azarkhail R, Sarmiento Cobos M, Medina M. Use of Indocyanine Green Fluorescent Imaging in the Assessment of a Tongue Flap After Lateral Hemiglossectomy. Cureus. 2021;13(5):e15248.

• Montorfano L, Bordes SJ, Sarmiento Cobos M, Garcia Lopez EA, Medina M. Use of Indocyanine Green Angiography for Real-Time Assessment of a Sternocleidomastoid Muscle Flap During Complex Facial Reconstruction. Cureus. 2021;13(3):e13970.

• Tashtoush B, Schroeder J, Memarpour R, Oliveira E, Medina M, Hadeh A, Ramirez J, Smolley L. Food Particle Aspiration Associated with Hemorrhagic Shock: A Diagnostic Dilemma. Case Rep Emerg Med. 2015;2015:275497.

Book Chapter

• Medina M, Lango M. Chapter 35: Oral Inflammation. In: Differential Diagnosis in Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. Eds: Michael Stewart, Samuel Selesnick.

Oral Presentations (Selected)

• The A-Z of Parotid Cancers and Tumors: All Controversies Answered – American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Annual Meeting, Miami, FL, 2024

• Corte en Marcha Laringectomia Parcial Limitada para la Recurrencia Pos-Radiacion – AAO-HNS Annual Meeting, Miami, FL, 2024

• Cancer de Piel: Mesa Redonda. Presentación de Casos – 38th Pan-American ORL Congress, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, 2024

• The Art and Science of Parotid Surgery (Expert Series) – AAO-HNS Annual Meetings (2019–2023, multiple sessions)

• Indocyanine Green and Infrared Imaging for Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy of the Head and Neck – 11th International Conference on Head & Neck Cancer, Montréal, 2023

• Management of Parotid Tumors and Surgical Management of Sleep Apnea (Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator) – Pan-American ORL Course, Buenos Aires, 2023

• Biopsia de Ganglio Centinela en Cabeza y Cuello – Dominican Surgical Oncology Society Congress, Bavaro, DR, 2022

• Manejo de Sarcoma de Cabeza y Cuello – Dominican Surgical Oncology Society Congress, Palma Real, DR, 2021

• Cancer de Cabeza y Cuello: Salvage Surgery Post-Radiation – Dominican Surgical Oncology Society Virtual Conference, 2020

• The ATA Guidelines and the Developing World: Are They Compatible? – AAO-HNS Annual Meeting, New Orleans, 2019

• Update on Surgical Management of Melanoma of the Head and Neck – Dominican Oncology Congress, Punta Cana, 2019

• Role of Sentinel Node Biopsy in Head and Neck Melanoma – Multidisciplinary H&N Cancer Update, Fort Lauderdale, 2019

• Reconstruction of Post-Parotidectomy Defects: Flaps, Grafts and Xenografts – Pan Asia Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Yokohama, Japan, 2018

• Endoscopic Management of Recurrent Laryngeal Papillomatosis and Subglottic Stenosis – PSO-HNS Midyear Convention, Philippines, 2017

• Role of Technology in Patient-Specific Medicine: Transoral Robotic Surgery – Philippine Society of ORL-HNS, Manila, 2016

• Survey on Post-Radiation Neck Dissections – AHNS International Conference, Toronto, 2012

• (Full extended list available upon request; all entries preserved in CV master document)

Posters (Selected)

• Indocyanine Green Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Oral Cavity Cancer – AAO-HNS Annual Meeting, Nashville, 2023

• Nerve Trend® to Predict Hypoglossal Function Post-Implant Surgery – AAO-HNS Annual Meeting, Nashville, 2023

• Safety of Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy in an Endoscopy Unit – AAO-HNS Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, 2022

• Continuous Intraoperative Nerve Monitoring in Substernal Goiter – AHNS International Conference, Seattle, 2016

• Endoscopic Resection of Recurrent Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma with Intracranial Extension – North American Skull Base Society Annual Meeting, 2011

• Removal of an Intra-Parotid Foreign Body without Parotidectomy or Facial Nerve Dissection – Triologic Society Combined Sections Meeting, Orlando, 2010