Douglas C Bigelow, MD

Otorhinolaryngology
Accepting new patients
Sees patients age 15 and up
Penn Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Perelman
Make an appointmentCall 800-789-7366
Penn Medicine Provider

About me

  • Director, Division of Otology/Neurotology
  • Associate Professor of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Douglas C. Bigelow serves as chief of the Division of Otology and Neurotology within the Department of Otolaryngology at Penn Medicine. He has worked in this area for 30 years and has vast clinical expertise in the treatment of ear disorders, hearing loss and skull base tumors. He has more experience in managing patients with acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannomas) and other skull base tumors such as glomus tumors (paragangliomas), meningiomas etc. than any other physician in the region. 

He has great expertise in treating patients with chronic ear disease including cholesteatoma and chronic otitis media as well as patients with hearing loss due to otosclerosis, middle ear disease and sensorineural (inner ear or nerve) hearing loss.  He has performed hundreds of stapes surgeries for otosclerosis and cochlear implants for patients with sensorineural hearing loss.  Dr. Bigelow has also been involved in cochlear implant research and clinical trials for many years.

My education and training

  • Medical School: University of Minnesota Duluth
  • Residency: Hennepin County Medical Center
  • Residency: Barnes-Jewish Center for Outpatient Health
  • Residency: Mercy Hospital St. Louis

Watch video featuring Douglas C Bigelow, MD on YouTube

Spoken languages

English
English

Reviews

Average Rating

766 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.

Anonymous
May 2026
no just very satisfied with bigelow
Anonymous
May 2026
i really felt at ease with the dr
Anonymous
May 2026
i felt at ease with my doctor
Anonymous
May 2026
they make you feel at ease and explain everything that is wrong with you and what has to be done and how it will be done in terms you understand what they are saying not make you more worried and confused before you spoke to them

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.

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.
Dr. Bigelow is a Penn Medicine physician.

Qualifications and experience

Treatments and Conditions

Research

Publications

Wolfe S, Lai S, Bigelow DC: Bilateral Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the External Auditory Canals , Laryngoscope, 112(6): 2002,1003-1005

Ruckenstein MJ, Prasthoffer A, Bigelow DC, von Feldt JM, Kolasinski SL: Immunologic and Serologic Testing in patients with Meniere’s Disease , Otology & Neurotology, 23(4): 2002,517-521

Ruckenstein MJ, Hedgepeth C, Rafter KO, Montes ML, Bigelow DC: Tinnitus Suppression in Cochlear Implant Patients. , Otology & Neurotology, 22(2): 2001,200-204

Ruckenstein MJ, Rafter KO, Montes ML, Bigelow DC Management of Far-Advanced Otosclerosis in the Era of Cochlear Implantation , Otology & Neurotology, 22(4): 2001,471-474

Grady MS, Judy KD, Bigelow DC, Sinson GP, Rostomily R, Winn HR: Experts Corner: Posterior Fossa Ependymoma , Skull Base, 11(3): 2001,219-223

Bonhomme GR, Loevner LA, Yen DM, Deems DA, Bigelow DC, Mirza N Extensive Intracranial Xanthoma Associated with Type II Hyperlipidemia. , American Journal of Neuroradiology, 21(2): 2000,353-355

Anderson TD, Loevner LA, Bigelow DC, Mirza N: Prevalence of Unsuspected Acoustic Neuroma Found by Magnetic Resonance Imaging. , Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 122(5): 2000,643-646

Bigelow DC: Glomus Jugulare Tumors. , ASNM Monitor, 8: 2000,33-37