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Charley Coffey, MD, is a fellowship-trained head and neck cancer surgeon who specializes in diagnosing and treating patients with a broad range of benign and malignant tumors of the head and neck.

Dr. Coffey's surgical practice includes management of tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract, salivary glands, neck, and skull base, as well as skin cancers of the face and neck. Where appropriate, he is able to employ minimally invasive techniques to minimize post-operative morbidity, including transoral robotic surgery, laser microsurgery, and endoscopic surgery. Dr. Coffey has particular interest in salivary gland function, including prevention and management of xerostomia in head & neck cancer patients and the use of minimally-invasive techniques to treat patients with obstructive salivary disorders. Dr. Coffey currently serves as the Service Chief of Otolaryngology- Head & Neck Surgery at UCSD Health and the Chief of Head & Neck Surgery at VA San Diego.

In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Coffey is dedicated to medical education. He is co-director of the UC San Diego Surgery Core Clerkship, serves as faculty of numerous medical school courses, and participates in curriculum design and review for the UC San Diego School of Medicine, UC San Diego Division of Otolaryngology, and the American Head & Neck Society. His efforts have been recognized with multiple teaching awards from students and residents. Dr. Coffey completed the ACS-ASE Surgical Education Research Fellowship in 2019. He has authored over 60 publications, chapters, and abstracts, and is serves as the primary or coinvestigator on multiple institutional and federally funded grants.

Prior to joining UCSD Dr. Coffey completed head and neck surgery fellowship training at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and a residency in otolaryngology at the Medical University of South Carolina. He earned his medical degree from University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Dr. Coffey is board certified in otolaryngology. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS).