Dr. Sepehr Oliaei: New Faculty Member | UCI Department of Otolaryngology

Dr. Sepehr Oliaei:
New Faculty Member

Dr. Sepehr Oliaei

Dr. Sepehr Oliaei is the newest member of our otolaryngology family here at UCI Health. A graduate of our residency training program in 2013, Dr. Oliaei has over 10 years of experience in practice and has developed expertise in non-neoplastic salivary gland disorders. He has a particular interest in minimally-invasive, gland-preserving options for patients with disorders such as obstructive salivary stones, autoimmune salivary duct disease, radioiodine sialadenitis and other obstructive or inflammatory diseases of salivary glands. He leads our comprehensive otolaryngology division.

As of a few years ago, the treatment offered to many patients with salivary gland stones like the one pictured below would have been to remove the gland in its entirety via an external incision in the neck, an operation that requires up to 2 weeks of post-operative recovery. Today at UCI Medical Center, Dr. Oliaei offers a new method for endoscopic or endoscopically-assisted removal of such stones with minimal downtime and no external scars. Sialendoscopy is a modern technique that uses ultra-thin channeled endoscopes to visualize the interior of parotid and submandibular salivary gland ducts. Via this technique, various disorders affecting salivary ducts can be diagnosed and treated in minimally-invasive fashion.

Dr. OIiaei is thrilled to return to UCI as a faculty member and to help expand comprehensive otolaryngology and salivary gland services offered by the department. “My goal is to resolve my patients’ symptoms and improve their function without resorting to invasive procedures. Removing a dysfunctional gland would be the very last choice. The more glands we can save, the more satisfied I would be and I think the patients too,” he states. We are happy to have him – his expertise has really added to the range of services we are able to provide our patients.