Barry Eliot Hirsch, MD

Dr. Barry Hirsch is a professor in the Department of Otolaryngology.  He is also a professor of medicine in the Department of Communication Science & Disorders and performs acoustic neuroma treatment within the Department of Neurological Surgery.

Dr. Hirsch holds a BA in psychology from the University of Connecticut and graduated in 1977 with an MD from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Hirsch received his residency training at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, as well as a subspecialty fellowship in Neurotology surgery through both the University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine and the University of Zurich in Switzerland. Dedicated to his field, he has become a renowned expert in otolaryngology.

Professionally, he has been called to serve as an expert witness for both the plaintiff and the defendant regarding discrepancies in otolaryngology, primarily industrial hearing loss.

In describing his work both in and out of the classroom, Dr. Hirsch has authored numerous publications and has been the recipient of multiple awards. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery in 1990 and the Outstanding Professor Award from the Department of Otolaryngology in 1992. Most recently, in 1994, he was listed in The Best Doctors in America

At the university, Dr. Hirsch's primary interests and responsibilities are directed towards patients with problems related to otology and neurotology. This has entailed clinical research investigating predictive factors for determining hearing preservation following acoustic neuroma surgery, developing a staging system for carcinoma of the temporal bone, describing the MRI findings in the large vestibular aqueduct syndrome, developing translabyrinthine surgery to skull base tumors with hearing preservation, the accuracy of electrocochleography in the diagnosis of endolymphatic hydrops, and the use of transtympanic gentamicin for treatment of Meniere's disease.

Dr. Hirsch has also been a co-investigator in the use of an auditory brainstem implant for rehabilitation of Neurofibromatosis-II patients deafened by their bilateral vestibular schwannomas. Additionally, he has participated in research striving towards the development of a test for peri-lymphatic fistula. Currently, Dr. Hirsch's research focuses on the role of stereotactic radiation on intracranial and skull base tumors.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Barry Hirsch
Phone: (412) 647-2115
Email: hirschbe@upmc.edu