Jeffrey T. Vrabec, MD

Professor of Otolaryngology, Academic Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College


Biography

Dr. Jeffrey Vrabec joined the faculty of Houston Methodist Hospital as the Division Head of Otology and Neurotology in January 2019. He is a Professor of Otolaryngology, Houston Methodist Academic Institute, Full Clinical Member at Houston Methodist Research Institute and Professor of Otolaryngology at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Vrabec began his academic career as an Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX and advanced to the rank of Associate Professor. In 2001, he joined the faculty of Baylor College of Medicine, as an Associate Professor and advanced to the rank of Full Professor with tenure in the Division Head of Otology and Neurotology. While at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Vrabec served as the Program Director for the Neurotology Fellowship for twelve years.

He has authored or coauthored more than 70 peer reviewed articles on many different topics related to Otology and Neurotology.  Some underlying themes to the publications are effects of neurotrophic viruses, epidemiology of disease and population statistics. His interest in the effects of viruses in neurotological disorders such as delayed onset facial paralysis and Bell palsy led to several grants for the study of herpes viruses in cranial nerve ganglia, which led to publications describing the prevalence and concentration of viral DNA in cranial nerve ganglia. The potential link between HSV1 and Meniere’s disease was the topic of his Triological Society thesis. Subsequent work investigated a genetic link between Menieres disease and a necessary cellular transporter for HSV infection in neurons. His more recent work has focused on the changing epidemiology of otosclerosis and potential effects on the practice of Neurotologists. Dr. Vrabec has participated in research endeavors supported by the NIDICD branch of the NIH and is recognized as a national and international authority of the field of Otology-Neurotology. He is double board certified in Otolaryngology and Neurotology. 

Education & Training

MD, Northwestern, University Medical School
Residency, Vanderbilt University Medical School
Internship, Geisinger Medical Center
Publications

Vestibular Hypofunction Screening in Older Cochlear Implant Candidates
Lovin, BD, Gorelik, D, Lin, KF & Vrabec, JT 2024, , Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (United States), vol. 171, no. 3, pp. 858-863. https://doi.org/10.1002/ohn.800

Rationale for the Development of a Novel Clinical Grading Scale for Postoperative Facial Nerve Function: Results of a Multidisciplinary International Working Group
Carlson, ML, Lohse, CM, Agazzi, S, Babu, SC, Barker, FG, Barnett, S, Bi, WL, Biggs, N, Boahene, KD, Breen, JT, Brown, KD, Cayé-Thomasen, P, Cosetti, MK, Deep, NL, Dey, JK, Dornhoffer, JR, Forner, D, Gurgel, RK, Hansen, MR, Hunter, JB, Kalamarides, M, Kim, IA, King, AT, Kircher, ML, Lassaletta, L, Link, MJ, Lloyd, SKW, Lund-Johansen, M, Marinelli, JP, Matthies, C, Mehta, V, Moore, EJ, Nassiri, AM, Neff, BA, Nelson, RF, Olson, JJ, Patel, NS, Celda, MP, Plitt, AR, Price, DL, Thomas Roland, J, Sweeney, AD, Tasche, KK, Tatagiba, M, Tveiten, O, Van Gompel, JJ, Vrabec, JT, Wanna, GB & Weisskopf, PA 2023, , Otology and Neurotology, vol. 44, no. 10, pp. E747-E754. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0000000000004039

Isolated Fracture of the Malleus: An Overlooked Cause of Conductive Hearing Loss?
Lovin, BD, Page, JC, Appelbaum, EN, Gorelik, D, Lin, KF & Vrabec, JT 2023, , Laryngoscope, vol. 134, no. 3, pp. 1032-1041. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.30962

Imaging of Alternobaric Facial Palsy: An Etiologic Hypothesis
Lovin, BD, Page, JC & Vrabec, JT 2023, , Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology, vol. 132, no. 9, pp. 1059-1067. https://doi.org/10.1177/00034894221127499

Otosclerosis in an urban population
Choi, JS, Sweeney, AD, Alava, I, Lovin, BD, Lindquist, NR, Appelbaum, EN & Vrabec, JT 2021, , Otology and Neurotology, vol. 42, no. 1, pp. 24-29. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0000000000002870

The Rise and Fall of Otosclerosis: A Population-based Study of Disease Incidence Spanning 70 Years
Marinelli, JP, Totten, DJ, Chauhan, KK, Lohse, CM, Grossardt, BR, Vrabec, JT & Carlson, ML 2020, , Otology and Neurotology, vol. 41, no. 9, pp. e1082-e1090. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0000000000002763

The Potential for Preserved Cochleovestibular Function in the Setting of Prolonged Pneumolabyrinth
Breen, JT, Sweeney, AD & Vrabec, JT 2020, , Otology and Neurotology, vol. 41, no. 7, pp. 929-933. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0000000000002675

Microvascular free tissue transfer and cochlear implants: A case series and literature review
Lindquist, NR, Vinh, DB, Appelbaum, EN, Vrabec, JT & Huang, AT 2020, , Laryngoscope, vol. 130, no. 6, pp. 1552-1557. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.28300

A Systematic Review of Cochlear Implant Outcomes in Prelingually-deafened, Late-implanted Patients
Pattisapu, P, Lindquist, NR, Appelbaum, EN, Silva, RC, Vrabec, JT & Sweeney, AD 2020, , Otology and Neurotology, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 444-451. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0000000000002555

The Role of Obesity in Iatrogenic Encephaloceles of the Temporal Bone
Lindquist, NR, Appelbaum, EN, Sweeney, AD & Vrabec, JT 2020, , Otology and Neurotology, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. e342-e348. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0000000000002527

Isolated Acute Vestibular Loss after Embolization of Arteriovenous Malformation for Pulsatile Tinnitus
Lindquist, NR, Appelbaum, EN & Vrabec, JT 2019, , Otology and Neurotology, vol. 40, no. 7, pp. E753-E754. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0000000000002300

Imaging of labyrinthine fistula after repair with bone pate
Vrabec, JT 2018, , Laryngoscope, vol. 128, no. 7, pp. 1643-1648. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.26709

Facial Nerve Trauma: A Call for Minimum Reporting Guidelines
Pattisapu, P, Gresham, M, McElwee, T, Vrabec, JT, Carlson, ML & Sweeney, AD 2018, , Otology and Neurotology, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 494-498. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0000000000001754

Iatrogenic cholesteatoma arising from the vascular strip
Sweeney, AD, Hunter, JB, Haynes, DS, Driscoll, CLW, Rivas, A, Vrabec, JT & Carlson, ML 2017, , Laryngoscope, vol. 127, no. 3, pp. 698-701. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.26093

Diagnostic criteria for detection of vestibular schwannomas in the VA population
Pena, I, Chew, EY, Landau, BP, Breen, JT, Zevallos, JP & Vrabec, JT 2016, , Otology and Neurotology, vol. 37, no. 10, pp. 1510-1515. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0000000000001251

Early practice: Neurotology
Breen, JT & Vrabec, JT 2015, , Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 257-262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2014.12.001

Is Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media a Neglected Tropical Disease?
Li, MG, Hotez, PJ, Vrabec, JT & Donovan, DT 2015, , PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, vol. 9, no. 3, e0003485. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0003485

Acute paralysis of the facial nerve
Vrabec, JT & Lin, JW 2014, . in Baileys Head and Neck Surgery: Otolaryngology. vol. 1-2, Wolters Kluwer Health, pp. 2503-2518.

Workforce analysis of neurotologists in the United States
Vrabec, JT 2013, , Otology and Neurotology, vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 755-761. https://doi.org/10.1097/MAO.0b013e318280492b

Chondroblastoma-like chondroma of soft tissue: Report of the first case in the base of skull
Raparia, K, Lin, JW, Donovan, D, Vrabec, JT, Zhai, Q, Ayala, AA & Ro, JY 2013, , Annals of Diagnostic Pathology, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 298-301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anndiagpath.2012.05.005