Dr. Ramzi Younis Helps Kids (and Parents) Breathe Easier



rom sore throats to sinusitis, young otolaryngology patients have a new specialist on their side at the School of Medicine. Joining the University of Miami faculty last May, Ramzi Younis, M.D., is coordinating clinical services for the ear, nose, and throat to some of the medical school’s most vulnerable patients. Beyond allergies and tonsilitis, Younis’ treatment of patients with severe otolaryngological disorders can sometimes extend all the way to the operating room. But it’s the human touch behind surgical outcomes that truly drives this physician.

“Sometimes we see a child who has had a tracheotomy tube for years,” Younis says. “His mom has never seen him breathe, never heard him cry. We’ll do a laryngeal reconstruction, and all of a sudden the patient is talking and crying. It outweighs everything and is beyond what any words can describe.”

Treatment at the pediatric ENT clinic also improves other areas of a child’s life, according to Younis. Performance in the classroom and communication with peers are enhanced following therapies for hearing impairment or procedures to counteract snoring for a full night’s sleep.

Joining the School of Medicine after leading the pediatric ENT divisions of Yale University and the University of Mississippi, Younis has begun to build the same services at the University of Miami as associate professor and chief of pediatric otolayrngology. Though the Department of Otolaryngology at UM is one of the strongest in the nation, without leadership in pediatric ENT, an important element was missing. Younis’ expertise and the opportunities awaiting him at the School of Medicine were a perfect fit.

“I came to the best department at the best university in a great city,” Younis says. “This move combined the need, opportunities, and glamour of Miami. What more could I ask for?”

Younis’ immediate goals for his division include continuing to build the services offered by the pediatric ENT clinic and making a name for his division both within the University and throughout South Florida.