David Eric Tunkel MD

Dr. David Tunkel is the division director of pediatric otolaryngology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is an associate professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, pediatrics, and anesthesiology-critical care medicine. He leads a division of pediatric otolaryngologists and allied health care providers who diagnose and treat the entire breadth of head and neck disease and communication disorders that affect children.

Dr. Tunkel has special expertise in treating airway disorders in children, including obstructive sleep apnea, congenital or acquired abnormalities of the larynx and trachea, and infections of the upper airway. He also treats the common infections of the ears, nose, and throat that affect young children, such as pharyngitis, sinusitis, and otitis media. He has conducted research that showed the success of new methods of subtotal tonsillectomy in treating sleep disordered breathing, with improved recovery for many children. He also treats children who need surgery for chronic otitis media, conductive hearing loss, and cholesteatoma. He is nationally known for treating children with special needs, including those with cleft palate, Down syndrome, short-stature skeletal dysplasias, and neuromotor diseases.