Chase Heaton, MD
Associate Professor
Otolaryngology
School of Medicine

He also has experience in transoral robotic surgery for removal of head and neck tumors. Dr. Heaton is committed to working with patients to develop individualized treatment plans to ensure they get the best possible care.

In addition to treating patients, Dr. Heaton conducts clinical research on outcomes of head and neck surgery. He also plays an active role in teaching and mentoring UCSF otolaryngology residents and medical students. He is the Faculty Education Champion for the head and neck oncology resident rotation and is Course Director for the UCSF medical student selective.

Dr. Heaton completed undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame and earned a medical degree at the Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago. After finishing an otolaryngology-head and neck surgery residency at UCSF, he completed a one-year fellowship in head and neck oncology and microvascular reconstructive surgery at UCSF. He joined the UCSF faculty full-time in 2015.

Dr. Heaton is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology. He plays an active role in teaching and mentoring UCSF otolaryngology residents and medical students.

Specialty: Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, Head and Neck Microvascular Reconstruction

Expertise: Surgical treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, thyroid, skin, and salivary glands. Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for removal of head and neck malignancies. Reconstruction of complex head and neck defects with microvascular free tissue transfer

Professional Interests: Head and neck oncologic and reconstructive surgery, head and neck endocrine surgery, medical education, clinical research

Education and Training:

• Undergraduate: University of Notre Dame, Indiana
• Medical School: Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Illinois
• Internship: University of California, San Francisco – Otolaryngology
• Residency: University of California, San Francisco – Otolaryngology
• Fellowship: University of California, San Francisco – Head and Neck Oncologic and Reconstructive Surgery

• Increasing Pedicle Reach with Musculocutaneous Perforator Dissection in Anterolateral Thigh Free Flaps.
  The Laryngoscope 2023 Plonowska-Hirschfeld KA, House A, Park AM, Seth R, Heaton CM, Fridirici Z, Knott PD
• A prospective evaluation of neck and shoulder function following treatments of early-stage human papillomavirus-associated oropharynx cancer.
  Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery 2023 Gulati A, Plonowska-Hirschfeld K, Stephens EM, Kansara S, Zebolsky AL, Ochoa E, Xu MJ, Ha PK, Heaton CM, Yom SS, Chan JW, Algazi AP, Kang H, Ryan WR
• The Impact of Venous Anastomosis Technique on Outcomes of Free Tissue Transfer to the Head and Neck.
  Facial plastic surgery & aesthetic medicine 2023 Fakurnejad S, Gulati A, Stanford-Moore GB, Park AM, Heaton CM, Seth R, Knott PD
• Prospective quality of life outcomes for human papillomavirus associated oropharynx cancer patients after surgery alone.
  American journal of otolaryngology 2023 Stephens EM, Plonowska-Hirschfeld K, Gulati A, Kansara S, Qualliotine J, Zelbolsky AL, van Zante A, Ha PK, Heaton CM, Ryan WR
• Outcomes Associated with Multiple Free Tissue Transfers Performed in a Single Day.
  Facial plastic surgery & aesthetic medicine 2023 Gulati A, Heaton CM, Park AM, Seth R, Knott PD
• Restarting Therapeutic Antibiotics Following Postoperative Prophylaxis in Head and Neck Microvascular Free Tissue Transfer.
  Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2023 Plonowska-Hirschfeld KA, Zebolsky AL, Lindeborg MM, McNeill C, Knott PD, Seth R, Park AM, Heaton CM
• Patterns of Postoperative Trismus Following Mandibulectomy and Fibula Free Flap Reconstruction.
  Cancers 2023 Lee RH, Evans C, Laus J, Sanchez C, Wai KC, Knott PD, Seth R, El-Sayed IH, George JR, Ryan WR, Heaton CM, Park AM, Ha PK
• Tracheal Rupture After Tracheostomy Tube Exchange in a Patient With Recurrent Oral Cavity Spindle Cell Carcinoma.
  Ear, nose, & throat journal 2022 Raskin J, Borrelli M, Nasrollahi T, Heaton C
• Perioperative Topical Antisepsis and Surgical Site Infection in Patients Undergoing Upper Aerodigestive Tract Reconstruction.
  JAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery 2022 Beydoun AS, Koss K, Nielsen T, Holcomb AJ, Pichardo P, Purdy N, Zebolsky AL, Heaton CM, McMullen CP, Yesensky JA, Moore MG, Goyal N, Kohan J, Sajisevi M, Tan K, Petrisor D, Wax MK, Kejner AE, Hassan Z…
• Effect of microporous polysaccharide hemospheres on anterolateral thigh free flap donor site complications.
  Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology 2022 David AP, Zebolsky AL, Park AM, Heaton CM, Knott PD, Seth R
• Skin Color Match in Head and Neck Reconstructive Surgery.
  The Laryngoscope 2021 Knott PD, Alemi SA, Han M, Seth R, Park AM, Heaton CM, Grekin RC, Arron ST, Neuhaus I, Yu SS, Saylor DK, Zhu BZ
• Adjuvant therapy improves survival in pT4aN0 oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma with bone invasion.
  American journal of otolaryngology 2021 Stanford-Moore GB, Sola AM, Chan J, El-Sayed I, George J, Ha P, Ryan WR, Heaton CM
• Patient-Reported Aesthetic and Psychosocial Outcomes After Microvascular Reconstruction for Head and Neck Cancer.
  JAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery 2021 Zebolsky AL, Patel N, Heaton CM, Park AM, Seth R, Knott PD
• Risk of Pathologic Extranodal Extension and Other Adverse Features After Transoral Robotic Surgery in Patients With HPV-Positive Oropharynx Cancer.
  JAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery 2021 Zebolsky AL, George E, Gulati A, Wai KC, Carpenter P, Van Zante A, Ha PK, Heaton CM, Ryan WR
• Utility of Microporous Polysaccharide Hemosphere on Anterolateral Thigh Free Flap Donor Site Complications.
  Facial plastic surgery & aesthetic medicine 2021 Benjamin T, David AP, Zebolsky AL, Shuman EA, Park AM, Heaton CM, Knott PD, Seth R
• Hepatitis C as a Potential Risk Factor for Adverse Surgical Outcomes in Head and Neck Free Tissue Transfer Reconstruction.
  Facial plastic surgery & aesthetic medicine 2021 Callander JK, Strohl MP, Knott PD, Park A, Seth R, Heaton CM
• Impact of Smoking and Primary Tumor Subsite on Recurrence in HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
  Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2021 Lee RH, Salesky M, Benjamin T, El-Sayed IH, George JR, Ha PK, Ryan WR, Heaton CM
• Surveillance Imaging Following Head and Neck Cancer Treatment and Microvascular Reconstruction.
  The Laryngoscope 2021 House AE, Zebolsky AL, Jacobs J, Likhterov I, Behr S, Glastonbury C, Seth R, Heaton C, Knott PD
• A prospective study of patient-reported xerostomia-related outcomes after parotidectomy.
  Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology 2021 Brodie KD, Zebolsky AL, Ochoa E, Ha PK, Heaton CM, El-Sayed IH, Ryan WR
• Appearance-Related Distress and Social Functioning after Head and Neck Microvascular Reconstruction.
  The Laryngoscope 2021 Zebolsky AL, Ochoa E, Badran KW, Heaton C, Park A, Seth R, Knott PD
• Patient-Reported Outcomes of Split-Thickness Skin Grafts for Floor of Mouth Cancer Reconstruction.
  ORL; journal for oto-rhino-laryngology and its related specialties 2021 Larson AR, Han M, Webb KL, Ochoa E, Stanford-Moore G, El-Sayed IH, George JR, Ha PK, Heaton CM, Ryan WR
• Nasogastric tube feeding after transoral robotic surgery for oropharynx carcinoma.
  American journal of otolaryngology 2021 Plonowska KA, Ochoa E, Zebolsky AL, Patel N, Hoppe KR, Ha PK, Heaton CM, Ryan WR
• Risk Factors for and Cost Implications of Free Flap Take-backs: A Single Institution Review.
  The Laryngoscope 2021 Han M, Ochoa E, Zhu B, Park AM, Heaton CM, Seth R, Knott PD
• Head and neck surgery during the coronavirus-19 pandemic: The University of California San Francisco experience.
  Head & neck 2020 Wai KC, Xu MJ, Lee RH, El-Sayed IH, George JR, Heaton CM, Knott PD, Park AM, Ryan WR, Seth R, Ha PK
• Vasodilation by Verapamil-Nitroglycerin Solution in Microvascular Surgery.
  Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2020 Seth R, Badran KW, Cedars E, Plonowska K, Benjamin T, Saggi S, Knott PD, Heaton CM, Blackwell KE
• Is It Worth It? Consequences of Definitive Head and Neck Reirradiation.
  Seminars in radiation oncology 2020 Foster CC, Fan M, Lee NY, Yom SS, Heaton CM, Deraniyagala R, Amdur R, Weichselbaum RR, Haraf DJ
• Association of Bolster Duration With Uptake Rates of Fibula Donor Site Skin Grafts.
  JAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery 2020 David AP, Heaton C, Park A, Seth R, Knott PD, Markey JD
• Modified technique of submandibular gland transfer followed by intensity modulated radiotherapy to reduce xerostomia in head and neck cancer patients.
  Head & neck 2020 Chang CF, Ei-Sayed IH, George JR, Heaton CM, Ryan WR, Susko MS, Yom SS, Ha PK
• Improved Tumor Control Related to Radiotherapy Technological Development for Hypopharyngeal Cancer.
  The Laryngoscope 2020 Susko MS, Lazar AA, Dhar S, Chan JW, Shiao SL, Chapman CH, Johnson J, Quivey JM, Ryan WR, Heaton CM, Ha PK, Yom SS
• Patient-Reported Quality of Life After Resection With Primary Closure for Oral Tongue Carcinoma.
  The Laryngoscope 2020 Ochoa E, Larson AR, Han M, Webb KL, Stanford-Moore GB, El-Sayed IH, George JR, Ha PK, Heaton CM, Ryan WR
• Long-Term Stability of Vascularized Adipofascial Flaps in Facial Reconstruction.
  Facial plastic surgery & aesthetic medicine 2020 Strohl MP, Junn JC, House AE, Heaton CM, Seth R, Park AM, Knott PD
• Assessing Free Flap Reconstruction Accuracy of the Midface and Orbit Using Computer-Aided Modeling Software.
  Facial plastic surgery & aesthetic medicine 2020 Zhu B, Han M, Heaton C, Park AM, Seth R, Knott PD
• Machine Learning for Predicting Complications in Head and Neck Microvascular Free Tissue Transfer.
  The Laryngoscope 2020 Formeister EJ, Baum R, Knott PD, Seth R, Ha P, Ryan W, El-Sayed I, George J, Larson A, Plonowska K, Heaton C
• HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer.
  JAAPA : official journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants 2019 Sheedy T, Heaton C
• Beyond Depth of Invasion: Adverse Pathologic Tumor Features in Early Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
  The Laryngoscope 2019 Larson AR, Kemmer J, Formeister E, El-Sayed I, Ha P, George J, Ryan W, Chan E, Heaton C
• Can Early Dental Extractions Reduce Delays in Postoperative Radiation for Patients With Advanced Oral Cavity Carcinoma?
  Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery : official journal of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 2019 Strohl MP, Chen JP, Ha PK, Seth R, Yom SS, Heaton CM
• Patterns of care and survival impact of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer with intermediate-risk features.
  Head & neck 2019 Goel AN, Sangar S, Mukdad L, Heaton CM, Ryan WR, Wang MB, Long JL, St John MA
• Treatment modality impact on quality of life for human papillomavirus-associated oropharynx cancer.
  The Laryngoscope 2019 Xu MJ, Plonowska KA, Gurman ZR, Humphrey AK, Ha PK, Wang SJ, El-Sayed IH, Heaton CM, George JR, Yom SS, Algazi AP, Ryan WR
• Socioeconomic disparities in a population of patients undergoing total thyroidectomy for benign disease.
  Head & neck 2018 Wu TJ, Ha PK, El-Sayed IH, George JR, Heaton CM, Ryan WR, Russell MD
• Parotid gland acinic cell carcinoma with fallopian canal erosion.
  Otolaryngology Case Reports 2018 Chase M. Heaton, Steven W. Cheung
• Human Papillomavirus-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer: Patterns of Nodal Disease.
  Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2018 Plonowska KA, Strohl MP, Wang SJ, Ha PK, George JR, Heaton CM, El-Sayed IH, Mallen-St Clair J, Ryan WR
• Shorter interval between radiation therapy and salvage laryngopharyngeal surgery increases complication rates following microvascular free tissue transfer.
  American journal of otolaryngology 2018 Formeister EJ, Sean Alemi A, El-Sayed I, George JR, Ha P, Daniel Knott P, Ryan WR, Seth R, Tamplen ML, Heaton CM
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Soft Palate in the United States: A Population-Based Study.
  Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2018 Chan CK, Han AY, Alonso JE, Xu MJ, Mallen-St Clair J, Heaton CM, Ryan WR, Kuan EC, St John MA
• Submandibular Gland Transfer: A Potential Imaging Pitfall.
  AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology 2018 Wu X, Yom SS, Ha PK, Heaton CM, Glastonbury CM
• Major prognostic factors for recurrence and survival independent of the American Joint Committee on Cancer eighth edition staging system in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma treated with multimodality therapy.
  Head & neck 2018 Xu MJ, Lazar AA, Garsa AA, Arron ST, Ryan WR, El-Sayed IH, George JR, Algazi AP, Heaton CM, Ha PK, Yom SS
• High-Yield Purification, Preservation, and Serial Transplantation of Human Satellite Cells.
  Stem cell reports 2018 Garcia SM, Tamaki S, Lee S, Wong A, Jose A, Dreux J, Kouklis G, Sbitany H, Seth R, Knott PD, Heaton C, Ryan WR, Kim EA, Hansen SL, Hoffman WY, Pomerantz JH
• The survival impact of surgical therapy in squamous cell carcinoma of the hard palate.
  The Laryngoscope 2018 Alonso JE, Han AY, Kuan EC, Strohl M, Clair JM, St John MA, Ryan WR, Heaton CM
• Abstract 17: Patterns of neck nodal metastases and recurrence in human papilloma virus-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma after neck dissection.
  Cancer Genomics and Signatures of Mutational Processes in Human Cancer 2017 Madeleine P. Strohl, Steven J. Wang, Patrick K. Ha, Jonathan R. George, Chase M. Heaton, Ivan H. El-Sayed, Jon Mallen St Clair, William R. Ryan
• Comparison of Output Volume Thresholds for Drain Removal After Selective Lateral Neck Dissection: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
  JAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery 2017 Tamplen ML, Tamplen J, Shuman E, Heaton CM, George JR, Wang SJ, Ryan WR
• Prognostic Factors for Recurrence and Survival Independent of the Revised AJCC 8th Edition Staging System in Patients with Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treated with Multimodality Therapy.
  International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics 2017 M. Xu, A.A. Garsa, A. Lazar, S. Arron, W.R. Ryan, I. El-Sayed, J. George, A. Algazi, C. Heaton, P. Ha, S.S. Yom
• Volumetric Growth Rate of Recurrent Pleomorphic Adenoma.
  The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology 2017 Naunheim M, Wu X, Ryan WR, Wang SJ, Heaton CM
• Establishment and characterization of an oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell line from a never-smoking patient.
  Oral oncology 2017 Wang SJ, Asthana S, van Zante A, Heaton CM, Phuchareon J, Stein L, Higuchi S, Kishimoto T, Chiu CY, Olshen AB, McCormick F, Tetsu O
• Spontaneous Iliopsoas Hematoma following Microvascular Free Tissue Transfer.
  Case reports in otolaryngology 2017 Markey JD, Alemi AS, Naunheim ML, Faden DL, Heaton CM, Seth R
• Comparison of Video and In-person Free Flap Assessment following Head and Neck Free Tissue Transfer.
  Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2017 Alemi AS, Seth R, Heaton C, Wang SJ, Knott PD
• Does a Standalone Cancer Center Improve Head and Neck Microsurgical Outcomes?
  Journal of reconstructive microsurgery 2017 Tamplen ML, Tamplen J, Torrecillas V, Seth R, Ricceri S, Hemmat S, Heaton C, Ryan WR, Knott PD
• Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for excision of a retropharyngeal intramuscular lipoma.
  Auris, nasus, larynx 2016 Heaton CM, Ahmed SR, Ryan WR
• Volumetric Growth of Cervical Schwannoma as a Predictor of Surgical Intervention.
  Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2016 Alemi AS, Heaton CM, Ryan WR, El-Sayed I, Wang SJ
• Targeted next-generation sequencing of TP53 in oral tongue carcinoma from non-smokers.
  Journal of otolaryngology - head & neck surgery = Le Journal d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale 2016 Faden DL, Arron ST, Heaton CM, DeRisi J, South AP, Wang SJ
• Laryngopharyngeal Repair in Salvage Laryngectomy.
  Current Otorhinolaryngology Reports 2016 Shethal Bearelly, Chase M. Heaton, Rahul Seth, P. Daniel Knott
• Clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes of recurrent oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
  American journal of otolaryngology 2016 Heaton CM, Yu K, Calkins S, George JR, Ryan WR, Wang SJ
• Prognostic Implications of Lymph Node Yield in Central and Lateral Neck Dissections for Well-Differentiated Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.
  Thyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association 2016 Heaton CM, Chang JL, Orloff LA
• Diagnosis and Management of the Thyroid Nodule.
  Sataloff’s Comprehensive Textbook of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery (Head and Neck Surgery) - Volume 5 2016 Lisa Orloff, Chase Heaton
• Prognostic significance of hyoid bone invasion in advanced base of tongue carcinoma treated by chemoradiation.
  Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery 2015 Heaton CM, Al-Shwaiheen F, Liu CS, Yom SS, Ryan WR
• Ethmoid Sinus Surgery.
  Practical Medical and Surgical Management of Chronic Rhinosinusitis 2015 Andrew N. Goldberg, Chase M. Heaton
• Extranodal Rosai-Dorfman Disease Presenting as an Intranasal Mass.
  Journal of Case Reports in Medicine 2015 Chase M. Heaton, Andrew H. Murr
• TP53 and CDKN2a mutations in never-smoker oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.
  The Laryngoscope 2014 Heaton CM, Durr ML, Tetsu O, van Zante A, Wang SJ
• Prognostic Significance of Hyoid Bone Invasion in Advanced Base of Tongue Carcinoma Treated by Chemoradiation.
  Otolaryngology 2013 Chase Heaton, Chia-Shang Liu, Fatemah Al-Shwaiheen, William R. Ryan
• Pleomorphic adenoma of the major salivary glands: diagnostic utility of FNAB and MRI.
  The Laryngoscope 2013 Heaton CM, Chazen JL, van Zante A, Glastonbury CM, Kezirian EJ, Eisele DW
• Lymph Node Procedures of the Head and Neck.
  Merkel Cell Carcinoma 2013 Chase M. Heaton, Steven J. Wang
• Sinus anatomy associated with inadvertent cerebrospinal fluid leak during functional endoscopic sinus surgery.
  The Laryngoscope 2012 Heaton CM, Goldberg AN, Pletcher SD, Glastonbury CM
• Extranodal Rosai-Dorfman Disease Presenting as an Intranasal Mass.
  The Laryngoscope 2011 Chase Heaton, Andrew Murr, Kirk D. Jones, Agne Naujokas, William Karlon
• Whole genome association study identifies polymorphisms associated with QT prolongation during iloperidone treatment of schizophrenia.
  Molecular psychiatry 2008 Volpi S, Heaton C, Mack K, Hamilton JB, Lannan R, Wolfgang CD, Licamele L, Polymeropoulos MH, Lavedan C