Kathleen C Y Sie, MD

Otolaryngology, Craniofacial Center, Childhood Communication Center, Facial Reanimation

On staff since July 1992

Children's Title: Division Chief, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery; Director, Childhood Communication Center

Academic Title: Professor

Foundation Title: Richard and Francine Loeb Endowed Chair in Childhood Communication Research

Research Center: Center for Clinical and Translational Research

"Helping children to communicate more effectively helps them in their socialization, self-confidence and language and cognitive development. With changes in medicine and technology, families and children have many choices today that were not available even 10 years ago. I consider it the ultimate privilege to help take care of children. I enjoy talking with the kids and their families in the clinic setting to help them understand their medical issues and challenges and to present them with treatment options, and I enjoy following through with whichever choices the family makes. In addition to taking the best possible care of each patient, I believe, the way that we make things better for children is through research."

• Biography

  Kathleen C.Y. Sie, MD, is director of the Childhood Communication Center at Seattle Childrens Hospital and professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She developed the Childhood Communication Center in 2002 to optimize the multidisciplinary care available to children with complex communication needs.

  She also participates in the Craniofacial Center. She earned her MD from the University of Michigan Medical School, completed a residency in otolaryngology and a fellowship in auditory research at the University of Washington and completed a clinical fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology at Childrens Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School. Her clinical efforts are focused on communication issues of childhood. She directs the Hearing Loss Clinic and co-directs the Cochlear Implant Program.

  Sie performed the first cochlear implant at Seattle Childrens in 1994, and performed all of Childrens cochlear implants until 2005. She also works with speech language pathologists in the evaluation and management of children with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI), and she works with colleagues to perform complex auricular reconstruction using autologous tissue and on prosthetic management of microtia. Her research efforts have focused on surgical outcomes in VPI management and epidemiological studies on pediatric cochlear implantation.

• Patient Testimonials

  • Adrienne Seattle, WA 01.05.24

    Dr. Sie did an excellent job on my son's palate repair. She was professional, communicated clearly, and my son's mouth looks perfect. We appreciate so much her excellent work. The nurses and other staff whom we worked with for my son's surgery were all friendly, helpful, and gave my son excellent care. We particularly want to recognize the nurses who were staffing Forest B during our stay; they all did great work. Thank you, Children's Staff!

  Recommend Kathleen C Y Sie, MD

• Awards and Honors

  Award Name	Award Description	Awarded By	Award Date
  SEATTLE TOP DOCTOR - 2022		Seattle Magazine	2022
  Seattle Top Doctor - 2019		Seattle Magazine	2019
  SEATTLE'S TOP DOCTOR - 2018		Seattle Magazine	2018
  SEATTLE MAGAZINE TOP DOCTOR - 2015		Seattle Magazine	2015
  University of Washington Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Resident Teaching Award			2014
  SEATTLE MAGAZINE TOP DOCTOR - 2014		Seattle Magazine	2014
  Seattle Magazine Top Doctor - 2013		Seattle Magazine	2013
  Seattle's Top Doc		Seattle Met Magazine	2013
  Seattle Magazine Top Doctor - 2012	Seattle Magazine Top Doctor - 2012	Seattle Magazine	2012
  Charles Ferguson Award for Clinical Research, Second Prize	For "Validation of a VPI-specific Quality of Life Instrument"	American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology	2012
  U.S. News Top Doctor		U.S. News and World Report	2012
  Charles Ferguson Award for Clinical Research, Third Prize	Concensus in developing a VPI Video Instruction Tool	American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology	2012

• Publications

  Other Publications

  • Purcell PL | Iwata AJ | Phillips GS | Paladin AM | Sie KC | Horn DL
    Bony cochlear nerve canal stenosis and speech discrimination in pediatric unilateral hearing loss.
    The Laryngoscope, 2015 Apr 15
  • Luquetti DV | Saltzman BS | Sie KC | Birgfeld CB | Leroux BG | Evans KN | Smartt JM Jr | Tieu DD | Dudley DJ | Heike CL
    Interrater reliability of a phenotypic assessment tool for the ear morphology in microtia.
    PMC3664118 American journal of medical genetics. Part A, 2013 June : 161A(6)1264-72
  • Iwata AJ, Dunnell J, Norton SJ, Sie KC
    Prenatal Diagnosis of SLC26A4 Mutation and Delayed Onset of Hearing Loss.
    23325706 Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2013 Jan 16
  • Skirko JR, Weaver EM, Perkins J, Kinter S, Sie KC
    Modification and evaluation of a Velopharyngeal Insufficiency Quality-of-Life instrument.
    23069823 Archives of otolaryngology--head & neck surgery, 2012 Oct. : 138(10)929-35
  • Tieu DD, Gerber ME, Milczuk HA, Parikh SR, Perkins JA, Yoon PJ, Sie KC
    Generation of consensus in the application of a rating scale to nasendoscopic assessment of velopharyngeal function.
    23069822 Archives of otolaryngology--head & neck surgery, 2012 Oct. : 138(10)923-8
  • Lam DJ | Chiu LL | Sie KC | Perkins JA
    Impact of Cleft Width in Clefts of Secondary Palate on the Risk of Velopharyngeal Insufficiency.
    Archives of facial plastic surgery, 2012 Apr 16
  • Lam DJ, Chiu LL, Sie KC, Perkins JA
    Impact of Cleft Width in Clefts of Secondary Palate on the Risk of Velopharyngeal Insufficiency.
    22508897 Archives of facial plastic surgery, 2012 Apr 16
  • Parhizkar N, Saltzman B, Grote K, Starr J, Cunningham M, Perkins J, Sie K
    Nasopharyngeal airway for management of airway obstruction in infants with micrognathia.
    20815716 The Cleft palate-craniofacial journal : official publication of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, 2011 July : 48(4)478-82
  • Patrick DL, Edwards TC, Skalicky AM, Schick B, Topolski TD, Kushalnagar P, Leng M, O'Neill-Kemp AM, Sie KS
    Validation of a quality-of-life measure for deaf or hard of hearing youth.
    21493349 Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2011 July : 145(1)137-45
  • Evans KN, Sie KC, Hopper RA, Glass RP, Hing AV, Cunningham ML
    Robin sequence: from diagnosis to development of an effective management plan.
    21464188 Pediatrics, 2011 May : 127(5)936-48 PMCID:PMC3387866
  • Cushing SL, Swanson RL, Sie KC
    Prevention of auricular deformity in children with diastrophic dysplasia.
    21414669 International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology, 2011 Mar 15
  • Misono S, Sie KC, Weiss NS, Huang ML, Boeckh M, Norton SJ, Yueh B
    Congenital cytomegalovirus infection in pediatric hearing loss.
    21242546 Archives of otolaryngology--head & neck surgery, 2011 Jan. : 137(1)47-53 PMCID:PMC3164953
  • Misono S | Sie KC | Weiss NS | Huang ML | Boeckh M | Norton SJ | Yueh B
    Congenital cytomegalovirus infection in pediatric hearing loss.
    PMC3164953 Archives of otolaryngology--head and neck surgery, 2011 Jan. : 137(1)47-53
  • Rogers DJ, Sie KC, Manning SC
    Epiglottitis due to nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae in a vaccinated child.
    20018387 International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology, 2010 Feb. : 218-20
  • Chen EY, Inglis AF, Ou H, Perkins JA, Sie KC, Chiara J, Manning SC
    Endoscopic electrocauterization of pyriform fossa sinus tracts as definitive treatment.
    19481267 International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology, 2009 Aug. : 1151-6
  • Chen EY, Paladin A, Phillips G, Raske M, Vega L, Peterson D, Sie KC
    Semicircular canal dehiscence in the pediatric population.
    19091428 International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology, 2009 Feb. : 321-7
  • Sie KC, Starr JR, Bloom DC, Cunningham M, de Serres LM, Drake AF, Elluru RG, Haddad J Jr, Hartnick C, Macarthur C, Milczuk HA, Muntz HR, Perkins JA, Senders C, Smith ME, Tollefson T, Willging JP, Zdanski CJ
    Multicenter interrater and intrarater reliability in the endoscopic evaluation of velopharyngeal insufficiency.
    18645127 Archives of otolaryngology--head & neck surgery, 2008 July : 757-63
  • Paladin AM, Phillips GS, Raske ME, Sie KC
    Labyrinthine dehiscence in a child.
    18066541 Pediatric radiology, 2008 March : 348-50
  • Sie KC, Chen EY
    Management of velopharyngeal insufficiency: development of a protocol and modifications of sphincter pharyngoplasty.
    17516340 Facial plastic surgery : FPS, 2007 May : 128-39
  • McCullough BJ, Adams JC, Shilling DJ, Feeney MP, Sie KC, Tempel BL
    3p-- syndrome defines a hearing loss locus in 3p25.3.
    17208398 Hearing research, 2007 Feb. : 51-60
  • Perkins JA, Inglis AF, Sie KC, Manning SC
    Recurrent thyroglossal duct cysts: a 23-year experience and a new method for management.
    17165669 The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology, 2006 Nov. : 850-6
  • Yoon PJ, Starr JR, Perkins JA, Bloom D, Sie KC
    Interrater and intrarater reliability in the evaluation of velopharyngeal insufficiency within a single institution.
    16982971 Archives of otolaryngology--head & neck surgery, 2006 Sept. : 947-51
  • Lam DJ, Starr JR, Perkins JA, Lewis CW, Eblen LE, Dunlap J, Sie KC
    A comparison of nasendoscopy and multiview videofluoroscopy in assessing velopharyngeal insufficiency.
    16500434 Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2006 March : 394-402
  • Perkins JA, Lewis CW, Gruss JS, Eblen LE, Sie KC
    Furlow palatoplasty for management of velopharyngeal insufficiency: a prospective study of 148 consecutive patients.
    15988249 Plastic and reconstructive surgery, 2005 July : 72-80; discussion 81-4
  • Stern RE, Yueh B, Lewis C, Norton S, Sie KC
    Recent epidemiology of pediatric cochlear implantation in the United States: disparity among children of different ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
    15630380 The Laryngoscope, 2005 Jan. : 125-31
  • Lewis CW, Carron JD, Perkins JA, Sie KC, Feudtner C
    Tracheotomy in pediatric patients: a national perspective.
    12759264 Archives of otolaryngology--head & neck surgery, 2003 May : 523-9
  • Sie KC, Gruss JS
    Results with Furlow palatoplasty in the management of velopharyngeal insufficiency.
    12045602 Plastic and reconstructive surgery, 2002 June : 2588-9; author reply 2590-1
  • Eblen LE, Sie KC
    Perceptual and instrumental assessment of velopharyngeal insufficiency.
    12045603 Plastic and reconstructive surgery, 2002 June : 2589-90; author reply 2590-1

• Presentations

  Presentation Title	Event	Location	Date
  Outcomes in children with Robin Sequence: Does facial phenotype matter?	ACPA		2011
  Perceptions of quality of life among youth who are deaf or hard of hearing	International Society for Quality of Life Research	London	2010

• Research Funding

  Grant Title	Grantor	Amount	Award Date
  Hearing Loss and Quality of Life of Children and Youth	NIDCD, NIHKathleen Sie, MDKathleen Sie, MD		Jan 1, 2007
  Clinical vestibular assessment in children with deafness	Hear See Hope Foundation	$40,000.00	Jan 1, 2007
  Role of congenital CMV in pediatric hearing loss	Gustavus and Louise Pfeiffer Research Foundation	$75,000.00	Jan 1, 2006