Edward Conrad Gabalski, MD

Edward Gabalski, MD, is chief of otolaryngology/head neck surgery at Glen Cove Hospital and chief of otolaryngology at South Shore University Hospital. He sees patients with all types of head and neck tumors, including cancers of the mouth, throat, nose, sinuses, thyroid, parathyroid and salivary glands.

He specializes in minimally invasive thyroid and parathyroid surgery to remove tumors, which requires making a single small incision in the neck. He also performs endoscopic surgery for the removal of sinus tumors, which involves placing a thin lighted tube with a tiny camera on the tip and small surgical tools through the nose to remove tissue. Other conditions he treats include chronic sinusitis, nasal polyps and obstructive sleep apnea.

Dr. Gabalski earned his medical degree at SUNY Upstate Medical University College of Medicine. “The first class I took there was anatomy lab, and I knew right away that I wanted a career in surgery,” he says. He then completed an otolaryngology/head and neck surgery residency through SUNY Buffalo and a head and neck surgical oncology fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center.

A team-based approach to care is central to his job at Northwell Health. “Our surgeons work together to cover patients and help each other during procedures,” he says. Because the system does a high volume of surgeries, complication rates are low. Along with the surgical team, Dr. Gabalski also collaborates with pathologists, radiologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists to create personalized, comprehensive care plans for his patients.

In addition to providing patients with outstanding clinical care, Dr. Gabalski and his colleagues are studying the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in head and neck cancers. He also has a research interest in preventing hearing loss associated with preoperative chemotherapy in the patients he sees. He is a member of the American Head and Neck Society, the American Board of Otolaryngology, the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, and the Long Island Society of Otolaryngology.

For Dr. Gabalski, the most gratifying part of this work is supporting patients throughout the treatment process. “I’m privileged to help people during what can be the most difficult time of their lives,” he says. “Seeing them on the other side of their treatment is just so rewarding.”