Edward C. Kuan, MD

• Nose and Sinus Disorder Services
• Skull Base Surgery Services
• Head and Neck Cancer Services

• American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Otolaryngology

• English
• Mandarin

• Chief — Division of Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, UCI School of Medicine
• Co-Director — UCI School of Medicine Comprehensive Skull Base Program
• Medical Director, Department of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, UCI Medical Center
• Fellowship Co-Director, Kaiser Permanente Orange County Rhinology Fellowship
• Associate Professor — Department of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, UCI School of Medicine
• Associate Professor — Department of Neurological Surgery, UCI School of Medicine
• Fellow — American Rhinologic Society
• Fellow — The Triological Society

Dr. Edward C. Kuan is a board-certified, fellowship-trained UCI Health otolaryngologist who specializes in medical and surgical treatment for disorders of the nose, paranasal sinuses and skull base. He is Co-Director of the UCI Comprehensive Skull Base Program and Chief of Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery.

As a rhinologist and skull base surgeon, his clinical practice focuses on complex and revision endoscopic sinus surgery for challenging sinusitis and nasal polyps, especially cases that have failed prior medical and/or surgical therapy. He also has a focused interest in sinonasal tumors and often partners with the UCI Head and Neck Cancer team to provide comprehensive treatment for both benign and malignant tumors of the nose and sinuses, often achievable via a minimally invasive approach.

In addition, he performs endoscopic skull base surgery in close collaboration with UCI Health neurosurgeons as part of the UCI Health Skull Base Surgery Program, including removal of brain tumors through the nose and reconstructing defects between the brain and the nose (cerebrospinal fluid leaks and encephaloceles), and frequently collaborates with the UCI Health Facial Plastic Surgery team for the comprehensive surgical treatment of the functional nasal airway.

Kuan earned his medical degree at UCI School of Medicine. He completed residency training in otolaryngology at UCLA, followed by a fellowship in rhinology and skull-base surgery at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

His research interests include bioengineering applications in rhinology, skull base reconstruction, and clinical outcomes of chronic sinusitis, sinonasal tumors and skull base surgery. He has published more than 260 peer-reviewed original articles, reviews and book chapters in the highest-impact otolaryngology and neurosurgery journals and is a regular invited speaker for both clinical topics and his research nationally and internationally. He is actively involved in the American Rhinologic Society, North American Skull Base Society and Triological Society. He is the primary editor of a textbook on skull base reconstruction and is the primary editor of the International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology - Sinonasal Tumors document. He also serves as an associate editor and/or on the editorial boards of multiple scientific journals, including all journals focused on the field of rhinology.

Kuan, who is also fluent in Mandarin, sees patients in Irvine, Orange and Placentia.