Dr. Vivian Kaul Named Chief of Otology
Vivian F. Kaul, MD, a fellowship-trained neurotologist recruited in 2023, has been appointed chief of otology in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. In her role as division chief, she will lead the development and growth of the department’s otology division, including skull base surgeries for vestibular schwannoma and neurofibromatosis type 2.
“Our immediate goal is to expand our services while maintaining the highest quality of care for our patients with hearing impairments,” says Dr. Kaul, who has instituted a multidisciplinary cochlear implant conference where physicians, audiologists, and speech-language pathologists discuss patients with complex neurotology disorders who may benefit from implants. “In the longer term, we hope to recruit additional physicians at our medical center location, expand otology services to our satellite locations, and build our reputation as an endoscopic ear surgery center.” In addition to UT Physicians Otorhinolaryngology-Texas Medical Center, the practice serves patients at centers in The Woodlands and Southeast Houston.
Dr. Kaul received her medical degree at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas and completed residency training in otolaryngology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She went on to complete a neurotology fellowship at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. Her research interests include enhancing medical communication between physicians and patients in ways that optimize patients’ understanding of their clinical diagnoses and promote greater engagement in treatment.
“Most patients have difficulty completely understanding everything discussed in a physician encounter. Those who are hearing impaired find it even more challenging,” she says. “Our goal is to ensure that there are no gaps in understanding and also to empower patients and their families through a complete understanding of their hearing loss.”
Fluent in English and Mandarin, Dr. Kaul specializes in endoscopic ear surgery and focuses her practice on tumors that occur in the inner ear and brain interface. She also manages adult and pediatric hearing loss with cochlear implantation and bone-anchored hearing aids and treats the full range of diseases that manifest with imbalance, hearing loss, and tinnitus. These include tumors of the ear, temporal bone, and skull base, such as vestibular schwannomas/acoustic neuromas, meningiomas, and carcinomas; cholesteatoma and chronic ear disease; temporal brain hernias and cerebrospinal fluid leaks; facial nerve disorders; otosclerosis; superior semicircular canal dehiscence; and balance disorders such as Ménière’s disease. She leads the effort for resident education in otology, as well as a quality improvement project at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center to improve efficiency in the hospital’s operating rooms.