- Neck disorder
- Salivary gland cancer
- Salivary gland disease
- Salivary gland inflammation
- Salivary gland stone
- Salivary gland tumor
- Endoscopic sinus surgery
- Larynx surgery
- Transoral robotic surgery
Christopher H. Rassekh, MD
Otorhinolaryngology
Accepting new patients
Sees patients age 18 and up
Penn Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Perelman
Penn Medicine Provider
About me
- Director, Penn Medicine Salivary Gland Center and Sialendoscopy Program
- Co-Chair, Hospital University of Pennsylvania Airway Safety Committee
- Director of Risk Reduction and Director of Professional Practice, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
- Professor of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery
Christopher H. Rassekh, MD is Professor of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Penn Medicine. He is the Director of the Penn Medicine Salivary Gland Center and Sialendoscopy Program, which provides evaluation of and minimally invasive surgery for diseases that cause swelling of the salivary glands including obstructive diseases such as salivary stones, salivary duct strictures and tumors. As a trusted member of the international salivary gland care community, he will serve as co-chair for the 5th International Salivary Gland Congress held at Penn Medicine in October of 2019. Dr. Rassekh sees patients with head and neck tumors including cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box, salivary gland, thyroid and neck and also was a very early adopter of Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) for tumors and salivary gland diseases, and is an expert in cranial base surgery. He also is co-chair of the Airway Safety Committee at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Rassekh has been very active in the national and international community including the American Academy of Otorhinolaryngology which awarded him the Distinguished service award in 2007. He has been on the board of directors of the North American Skull Base Society and served on numerous committees in that organization. He is currently on the Board for the Salivary Section of the American Head and Neck Society and has been on the program planning committee for all three of these organizations. He is a fellow of the Triological Society (aka Laryngological, Otological and Rhinological Society).
Specializing in Head and Neck Cancer, tumors, salivary gland diseases, sialendoscopy, and all other aspects of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, especially diseases of the nose, throat and neck and skull base.
My education and training
- Medical School: University of Iowa College of Medicine
- Residency: Spectrum Health Hospital (Butterworth Campus)
- Residency: University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
- Fellowship: University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
- Fellowship: UPMC Presbyterian
Spoken languages
English
English
Español
Spanish
Français
French
Reviews
447 reviews
Comments are submitted by patients and reflect their views and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Penn Medicine.
Insurance accepted
Please contact the practice and/or the member services department of your insurance company for specific details before receiving services. Providers may participate in some, but not all, products offered by a health plan; providers may also accept plans at some practice locations but not others.
- Aetna Advantra Cares D-SNP
- Aetna Advantra Credit Value
- Aetna Advantra Eagle HMO
- Aetna Advantra Eagle POS
- Aetna Advantra Premier Plus PPO
- Aetna Advantra Value
- Aetna Advantra Value Plus
- Aetna APCN Plus (Multi-Tier)
- Aetna Better Health Kids (CHIP) - DH Only
- Aetna Flexible Five
- Aetna Freedom Core
- Aetna Gold
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Philly Prime
- Aetna POS
- Aetna PPO APCN
- Aetna Premier
- Aetna Premier Plus
- Aetna Savings Plus
- Aetna Signature Administrators
- Aetna Student Health Plan PPO
- Aetna Upfront Advantage
- First Health HMO
- First Health POS
- First Health PPO
- Meritain - Aramark (Other)
- Meritain - Aramark (Pennsylvania Premier Medical Plan)
- Centivo EPO
- Cigna Healthcare EPO
- Cigna Healthcare HMO
- Cigna Healthcare POS
- Cigna Healthcare PPO
- Claim Watcher (Homestead/ INDECs) Open Access
- Clover Health Choice
- Clover Health Choice Value PPO
- Clover Health Classic HMO
- Clover Health Value
- Devoted Health Choice Giveback Pennsylvania (PPO)
- Devoted Health Choice Pennsylvania (PPO)
- Devoted Health Choice Plus Pennsylvania (PPO)
- Devoted Health Core Pennsylvania (HMO)
- Devoted Health Dual Plus Pennsylvania (HMO D-SNP)
- Devoted Health Giveback Pennsylvania (HMO)
Locations
Penn Medicine hospital privileges
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
- Pennsylvania Hospital: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
- Penn Presbyterian Medical Center: Has privileges to treat patients in the hospital.
Qualifications and experience
- Otolaryngology, 1993
- American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, National
- American Board of Otolaryngology, National
- American College of Surgeons, National
- American Head and Neck Society, National
- American Head and Neck Society, National
- American Medical Association, National
- College of Physicians, National
- North American Skull Base Society, National
- North American Skull Base Society, International
- North American Skull Base Society, International
- Pennsylvania Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Local
- Triological Society, National
- Penn Center for Head and Neck Cancer
- Penn Cranial Base Surgery Program
- Penn Neuroendocrine Tumor Program
- Penn Salivary Gland Center
- Penn Thyroid and Parathyroid Cancer Program
- Penn TransOral Robotic Surgery Program
- Recognized annually in Philadelphia Magazine's Top Docs issue from 2018 through 2025
Treatments and conditions
Research
Publications
Lukens, N et al Long-Term Results of a Phase II Clinical Trial of Radiation Volume and Dose De-intensification Following Transoral Robotic Surgery and Neck Dissection for Human Papillomavirus-Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma , International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics DOI:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2026.04.015: 2026
Okolo, Ogoegbunam; Benson, Jalen, Wardlow, Robert, Fowler, Jason, Rassekh, CH. The Work Up of Head and Neck Masses - for the Hospitalist/Internist , Otolaryngology for the Hospitalist Issue of Medical Clinics of North America, 110: 2026
Sharma S, Lavin JM, Rassekh CH. Addressing Stakeholder Gaps and Systemic Barriers in Intersystem Medical Error Discovery Reporting. , JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2025 Oct 1;151(10):1011-1012. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2025.2657.: 2025
Vimawala SN, Graboyes AZ, Bennett B, Bonanni M. Abbasi A, Oliphant T. Alonso-Basanta M. Rassekh C.Cohen D, Brant JA, Huan Y. Head and Neck Paragangliomas: Overview of Institutional Experience , Cancers (Basel). 2024 Apr 16;16(8):1523, doi: 10.3390/cancers 16081523. PMID: 38672605: 2024
Hoffman HT, Koch M, Witt RL, Ryan WR, Zenk J, Katz P, Rahmati R, Rassekh C, Donato F. McCulloch TM, Joshi AS, Chang JL, Gillespie MB, Pichardo PFA, Orloff LA, Marcelino A. Wenzel P. Cohen D. Fundakowski CE, Cognetti DM, Walvekar RR, Bertelli A, Quon H, Anderson C, Policeni B, Siegel G. Proposal for standardized ultrasound analysis of the salivary glands: Part 1 2 submandibular gland. , Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2024 Feb 14:9(1):e1224, doi: 10.1002/lio2.1224. eCollection 2024 Feb. PMID: : 2024
Tondi-Resta I, Hobday SB, Gubbiotti MA, Jalaly JB, Rassekh CH, Montone KM, Baloch ZW. Carcinoma Ex Pleomorphic Adenomas: An Institutional Experience and Literature Review , Am J Clin Pathol : 2023
Hobday SB, Mady LJ, Jacobson AM, Rassekh CH. CIC-DUX4 Sarcoma Involving the Skull Base: A Rare Presentation and Review of the Literature. , J Neurol Surg Rep. 2023 Oct 13;84(4):e124-e128. doi: 10.1055/a-2166-5688. eCollection 2023 Oct. PMID: 37842548 : 2023
Brenner MJ, Brodsky MB, Rassekh CH. Reassessing Endotracheal Tube Size in Critically Ill Patients. , Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023 Feb 1;149(2):188. doi: 10.1001/jamaoto.2022.4273.: 2023
Saleh S, Sullivan SE, Bellile E, Roxbury C, Das P, Hachem RA, Ackall F, Jang D, Celtikci E, Sahin MM, D'souza G, Evans JJ, Nyquist G, Khalafallah A, Mukherjee D, Rowan NR, Camp S, Choby G, Gompel JJV, Ghiam MK, Levine CG, Field M, Adappa N, Locke TB, Rassekh C, Sweis AM, Goyal N, Zacharia B, Wilson MN, Patel S, Gardner PA, Snyderman CH, Wang EW, Glancz LJ, Bagchi A, Dow G, Robertson I, Rangarajan SV, Michael LM 2nd, McKean EL Retrospective Review of Surgical Site Infections after Endoscopic Endonasal Sellar and Parasellar Surgery: Multicenter Quality Data from the North American Skull Base Society , J Neurol Surg B Skull Base, 83(6): 2022,579-588
Badash I, Raskin J, Pei M, Soldatova L, Rassekh C Contemporary Review of Submandibular Gland Sialolithiasis and Surgical Management Options , Cureus, 14(8): 2022,e28147