Bio
Dr. Balakrishnan is a pediatric otolaryngologist specializing in the care of children with complex disorders of breathing, voice, and swallowing. He has a special interest in complex surgical reconstruction of the larynx (voice box) and trachea (windpipe) and in vascular anomalies of the head and neck. He has interests in improving the quality, safety, and value of pediatric surgical care, reducing costs of care, and optimizing the patient and caregiver healthcare experience. He has also developed expertise in how cognitive and implicit bias may affect medical decision-making and quality of patient care.
Dr. Balakrishnan has nationally and internationally recognized expertise in these areas, with multiple national and international invited presentations. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers, multiple textbook chapters, and one textbook (Evidence-Based Management of Head and Neck Vascular Anomalies, 2019). He has also served as Associate Editor for the journal Otolaryngology ? Head and Neck Surgery. He serves on multiple national and institutional quality committees and is founding co-chair of the national multicenter Aerodigestive Research Collaborative. His commitment to quality care for children and surgical patients has been recognized with fellowships in the American College of Surgeons and American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Balakrishnan was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland and attended college at Harvard University. After taking a year to work as a high school teacher in Baltimore, he attended medical school at Johns Hopkins, with an additional year to complete a Howard Hughes Medical Institute research fellowship. He then completed residency in Otolaryngology ? Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Washington. During residency, Dr. Balakrishnan completed a two-year NIH-funded research fellowship and a Master of Public Health degree with a focus on Health Services. He then completed a two-year fellowship at Cincinnati Children?s Hospital with a focus on complex reconstruction of the pediatric larynx and trachea and pediatric aerodigestive disorders.
In 2014, Dr. Balakrishnan joined the otolaryngology faculty at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he had a busy pediatric airway and aerodigestive practice and was a key contributor to the multidisciplinary aerodigestive, vascular anomalies, and velopharyngeal insufficiency programs. At the Mayo Clinic Children?s Center, Dr. Balakrishnan also served as a surgical quality leader and championed the development of a comprehensive pediatric surgical quality program. Dr. Balakrishnan joined the Stanford Department of Otolaryngology ? Head & Neck Surgery and Lucile Packard Children?s Hospital faculty as associate professor in early 2020. With this appointment, he also took on the role of medical director for surgical performance improvement at Stanford Lucile Packard Children?s Hospital.
Clinical Focus
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Airway Reconstruction
- Airway Obstruction
- Laryngeal Stenosis
- Tracheal Stenosis
- Vocal Cord Paralysis
- Airway
- Airway Surgery
- Choanal Atresia
- Vascular Anomalies
- Tracheostomy
- Tracheostomy Dependence
- Swallowing Disorders
- Aspiration
Academic Appointments
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Associate Professor - Med Center Line, Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery Divisions
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Member, Bio-X
Administrative Appointments
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Medical Director of Surgical Performance Improvement, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford (2020 - Present)
Honors & Awards
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Fellow, American College of Surgeons
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Fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics
Professional Education
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MPH, University of Washington, Health Services (2008)
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Board Certification: American Board of Otolaryngology, Otolaryngology (2013)
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Residency: University of Washington Otolaryngology Residency (2012) WA
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Internship: University of Washington Dept of Surgery (2006) WA
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Medical Education: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2005) MD
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Fellowship: Cincinnati Children's Medical Center Pediatric Otolaryngology OH