Ian Ganly, MD, PhD
Head and Neck Surgeon
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Areas of Expertise
My Specialties
- Thyroid Cancers
- Salivary Gland Cancers
- Cancer of the Mouth and Throat
Meet Head and Neck Surgeon Ian Ganly
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About Me
- Attending Surgeon
I am a surgeon who cares for people with cancerous and noncancerous tumors in the head and neck. This includes tumors of the mouth, throat, larynx (voicebox), esophagus, sinuses, thyroid gland, salivary glands, head and neck skin cancer, and melanoma.
I trained in otolaryngology (study of diseases in nose and throat), general surgery, and plastic surgery. This broad experience gave me the surgical, endoscopic, and microsurgical skills necessary to treat head and neck tumors.
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In addition to traditional, open surgery, I have a special interest in minimally invasive surgery. These procedures use smaller incisions or cuts and have been shown to reduce the risk of complications and recovery time. For example, I have extensive experience using transoral endoscopic laser surgery to remove tumors of the larynx and pharynx. This type of operation is performed through an endoscope inserted in a patient’s mouth. I then remove the tumor using a special laser. This technique has several advantages over open surgery. It involves no incisions on the neck, which allows us to preserve speech and swallowing function. In many cases patients can have these procedures done without a stay in the hospital.
I also have experience in transoral robotic surgery to remove cancers of the tonsil and base of the tongue. This allows us to remove cancers in the back of the tongue and tonsil through the mouth and eliminates the need for an open mandibulotomy (jaw split).
My special interest in salivary gland cancer and thyroid cancer has led me to write extensively on these topics. My clinical research and basic science research mostly focus on these areas.
I have published more than 300 scientific articles and written several book chapters in the field of head and neck cancer. This volume of research has led to me to earn an exceptional research rating. In addition, I have presented at more than 200 national and international meetings. I am an active reviewer for several journals, including Head and Neck, Clinical Otolaryngology, Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and Surgical Oncology.
I am married to my wife, Adele, and have two children in high school. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends in New York City. My hobbies include sports, especially soccer, running in Central Park, tennis, and skiing. My wife and I are keen travelers and have visited most countries in the world.
A head and neck surgeon is a doctor with special training in surgery on the head and neck. This includes the larynx, lips, mouth, nose, salivary glands, and throat.
My Specialties
- Thyroid Cancers
- Salivary Gland Cancers
- Cancer of the Mouth and Throat
- Cancers of the Larynx
- Skin Cancer and Melanoma of the Head and Neck
- Cancers of the Sinus and Nasal Cavity
Education
- MBBS, University of Glasgow, Scotland
- PhD, University of Glasgow, Scotland
- MSc, Columbia University, New York
Residencies
- Surgery - West of Scotland Teaching Hospital
- Surgery - West of Scotland Teaching Hospital
Awards and Honors
- Castle Connolly: America’s Top Doctor (2024)
- Top Doctors New York Metro Area, Castle Connolly (2023)
- Castle Connolly: America's Top Doctors (2018-2023)
- Castle Connolly: New York Magazine Top Doctors (2018-2020)
- Fellow of the Year Award, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (2004)
- Fellow, Royal College Surgeons Edinburgh
- Fellow, Royal College Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow
Fellowships
- Surgery - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Board Certifications
- General Surgery, Otolaryngology (UK)
Insurance Information
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If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.
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Current Patients
Contact and Location
Dr. Ganly sees patients at two locations.
Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.
Colleagues
Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.
Clinical Trials
- Clinical Trials Co-Investigated by Dr. Ganly
- A Pilot Study of Presurgical Cemiplimab with Chemotherapy and Cetuximab in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer
Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.
You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.
Search clinical trialsResearch and Publications
Selected Book Chapters
Ganly I, Shah JP. In: Mastery of Surgery. 5th ed. Fischer JE, Bland KI, eds. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006.
“Management of oral cavity cancer.” Ganly I, Patel SG, Shah JP. In: Principles and Practice of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology. Montgomery PQ, Rhys Evans PH, Gullane PJ, eds. New York: Informa Healthcare; 2009.
“Management of the neck.” Ganly I, Patel SG, Shah JP. In: Principles and Practice of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology. Montgomery PQ, Rhys Evans PH, Gullane PJ, eds. New York: Informa Healthcare; 2009.
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“Management of laryngeal cancer.” Ganly I, Patel SG, Shah JP. In: Principles and Practice of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology. Montgomery PQ, Rhys Evans PH, Gullane PJ, eds. New York: Informa Healthcare; 2009.
“Management of thyroid cancer.” Ganly I, Patel SG, Shah JP. In: Principles and Practice of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology. Montgomery PQ, Rhys Evans PH, Gullane PJ, eds. New York: Informa Healthcare; 2009.
Neck dissection” Ganly I, Shah JP. In: Fischer’s Mastery of Surgery. 6th ed. Fischer JE, Jones DB, Pomposelli FB, Upchurch GR, eds. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2011.
“Epidemiology of head and neck cancer.” Ganly I, Patel SG. In: Stell and Maran’s Textbook of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology. 5th ed. Watkinson J, Gilbert RW, eds. London: Hodder Arnold; 2012.
“Principles of conservation surgery.” Ganly I, Shah JP. In: Stell and Maran’s Textbook of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology. 5th ed. Watkinson J, Gilbert RW, eds. London: Hodder Arnold; 2012.
Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Ganly’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
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Disclosures
Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.
MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.
Ian Ganly discloses the following relationships and financial interests:
No disclosures meeting criteria for time period
If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.
The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.
This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2023 through disclosure submission in spring 2024). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.
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