ABOUT DR. FRIEDMAN
Education and Training
Aaron D. Friedman, MD was born in southern California and graduated with highest honors from the University of California at Berkeley, receiving undergraduate degrees in both Molecular and Cellular Biology and Economics. After obtaining his medical degree from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in New York City, Dr. Friedman completed an internship year in General Surgery and four clinical years of residency training in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. He devoted an additional year during residency to basic science research in immunology and laryngeal transplantation under the direction of his program chairman, Dr. Marshall Strome, who had previously performed the world’s first human total laryngeal transplant. Dr. Friedman received one of six national research grants and a first place Joseph H. Ogura Resident Research Award from the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery for his work on “Post-Allograft Donor and Recipient Dendritic Cell Trafficking in the Rat Larynx,” which investigated the immune system’s response to laryngeal transplantation in an animal model.
Following residency, Dr. Friedman completed a fellowship in Laryngeal Surgery under the mentorship of world-renowned laryngologist / laryngeal surgeon, Dr. Steven Zeitels at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Voice Center, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
Move to Chicago
After spending several years as an Instructor at Harvard Medical Schooland as an Attending Laryngeal Surgeon at MGH and practice partner of Dr. Zeitels, Dr. Friedman came to Chicago with the mission of providing state-of-the-art laryngeal care. A board-certified otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon, he is the founder and Medical Director of the NorthShore University HealthSystem Voice Center, located in Northbrook and Evanston, Illinois, less than 13 miles from the Chicago city center. It is the only comprehensive center for voice care led by a fellowship-trained laryngologist on the North Shore of Chicago.
Skill Set
While he is adept at treating all types of laryngeal disorders, Dr. Friedman has special interest, experience, and expertise in advanced laryngeal surgical techniques such as minimally invasive treatment of early glottic cancer, framework surgery (laryngoplasty) for vocal fold paralysis, management of laryngeal airway stenosis, and phonomicrosurgery for benign laryngeal lesions in professional voice users. In addition, he commonly performs office-based laryngeal surgeryfor certain chronic laryngeal disorders such recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) and vocal fold dysplasia.
Philosophy of Care
One of Dr. Friedman’s passions is helping people to learn about laryngology, whether it be patients, practicing otolaryngologists, fellows, residents, medical students, speech pathologists, or the interested public (eg singers, teachers, and other professional voice users). While he has published numerous peer-reviewed medical journal articles, taught many formal courses, and given multiple national, regional, and local presentations in the field of laryngology, it is the day-to-day education of patients that is often one of the most gratifying parts of his practice. In particular, laryngology is such an auditory and visual field of medicine, and by way of being able to record examinations of the functioning larynx and then review them with patients, people are able to gain new insight and understanding into the marvelously complex “black box” that is the origin of voice. The circumstance and privilege of being able to help restore patients’ disordered voices is just icing on the cake…
- Undergraduate Education
University of California (Berkeley, CA) - Medical Degree
Columbia University, College of Physicians & Surgeons (New York, NY) - Internship
General Surgery – Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, OH) - Residency
Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery – Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, OH) - Fellowship
Laryngeal Surgery (Laryngology) – Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA) - Current Clinical Appointment
Attending Surgeon, Department of Surgery – NorthShore University HealthSystem (Evanston / Highland Park, IL)
- Current Academic Appointment
Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine - Professional Board Certification
American Board of Otolaryngology - Professional Society Memberships
American Broncho-Esophagological Association, American Laryngological Association (post-graduate member), Triological Society (post-graduate member), American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chicago Laryngological & Otological Society - Awards
Triological Society, Joseph H. Ogura Resident Research Award – First Place; American College of Surgeons, Massachusetts Chapter, Resident/Fellow Essay Contest – First Place; American Broncho-Esophagolocial Association – Presidential Citation for Foreign Body Management; National Institutes of Health Research Service Award; Phi Beta Kappa
Peer-Reviewed Publications
- Friedman AD, Bhayani R, Memeo L, Kuriloff DB. Localized laryngeal amyloidosis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002; 127:487-489.
- Friedman AD, Shah JB, Takoudes TG, Haddad J, Jr. The role of free radicals in chronic rhinosinusitis. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002; 128:1055-1057.
- Friedman A, Batra PS, Fakhri S, Citardi MJ, Lanza DC. Isolated sphenoid sinus disease: etiology and management. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2005; 133:544-550.
- Friedman AD, Maurer WG, Byrd MC, Cook JR, Lorenz RR. A cytomegalovirus-associated mass presenting with laryngeal obstruction. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2006; 132:1375-1378.
- Friedman AD, Dan O, Drazba JA, Lorenz RR, Strome M. Quantitative analysis of OX62-positive dendritic cell distribution in the rat laryngeal complex. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2007; 116:449-456.
- Friedman AD, Dan O, Drazba JA, Lorenz RR, Strome M. Postallograft donor and recipient dendritic cell trafficking in the rat larynx. Laryngoscope 2007; 117:1615-1621.
- Friedman AD, Cook JR, Scharpf J. Precursor T-cell acute lymphoblastic lymphoma presenting as a tongue mass. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2009; 38:E16-18.
- Shipchandler TZ, Lott DG, Lorenz RR, Friedman AD, Dan O, Strome M. New mouse model for studying laryngeal transplantation. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2009; 118:465-468.
- Burns JA, Friedman AD, Lutch MJ, Hillman RE, Zeitels SM. Value and utility of 532 nanometre pulsed potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser in endoscopic laryngeal surgery. J Laryngol Otol 2009:1-5.
- Zeitels SM, Lopez-Guerra G, Burns JA, Lutch M, Friedman AD, Hillman RE. Microlaryngoscopic and office-based injection of bevacizumab (Avastin) to enhance 532-nm pulsed KTP laser treatment of glottal papillomatosis. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol Suppl 2009; 201:1-13.
- Friedman AD, Burns JA, Heaton JT, Zeitels SM. Early versus late injection medialization for unilateral vocal cord paralysis. Laryngoscope 2010; 120:2042-2046.
- Kwak PE, Friedman AD, Lamarre ED, Lorenz RR. Selective reinnervation of the posterior cricoarytenoid and interarytenoid muscles: an anatomical study. Laryngoscope 2010; 120:463-467.
- Zeitels SM, Barbu AM, Landau-Zemer T, Lopez-Guerra G, Burns JA, Friedman AD, Freeman MW, Halvorsen YD, Hilman RD. Local injection of bevacizumab (Avastin) and angiolytic KTP laser treatment of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis of the vocal folds: a prospective study. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2011; 120:627-634.
- Best SR, Friedman AD, Landau-Zemer T, Barbu AM, Burns JA, Freeman MW, Halvorsen YD, Hillman RE, Zeitels SM. Safety and dosing of bevacizumab (Avastin) for the treatment of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2012; 121:587-593.
- Burns JA, Friedman AD, Lutch MJ, Zeitels SM. Subepithelial vocal fold infusion: a useful diagnostic and therapeutic technique. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2012; 121:224-230.
- Friedman AD, Burns JA, Lutch MJ, Zeitels SM. Submucosal neoplasms of the laryngeal introitus. J Laryngol Otol 2012:1-8.
- Friedman AD, Kobler JB, Landau-Zemer T, Barbu AM, Burns JA. High-force simulated intubation fails to dislocate cricoarytenoid joint in ex vivo human larynges. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2012; 121:746-753.
- Mehta DD, Zeitels SM, Burns JA, Friedman AD, Deliyski DD, Hillman RE. High-speed videoendoscopic analysis of relationships between cepstral-based acoustic measures and voice production mechanisms in patients undergoing phonomicrosurgery. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2012; 121:341-347.
- Barbu AM, Burns JA, Lopez-Guerra G, Landau-Zemer T, Friedman AD, Zeitels SM. Salvage endoscopic angiolytic KTP laser treatment of early glottic cancer after failed radiotherapy. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2013; 122:235-239.
- Friedman AD, Hillman RE, Landau-Zemer T, Burns JA, Zeitels SM. Voice outcomes for photoangiolytic KTP laser treatment of early glottic cancer.Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2013; 122:151-158.
- Best SR, Kobler JB, Friedman AD, Barbu AM, Zeitels SM, Burns JA. Effect of mandibular tori on glottic exposure during simulated suspension microlaryngoscopy. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2014; 123:188-194.
- Barbu AM, Gniady JP, Vivero RJ, Friedman AD, Burns JA. Bedside Injection Medialization Laryngoplasty in Immediate Postoperative Patients.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2015.