Sarah R. Akkina
( out of 499 reviews )

Sarah R. Akkina, MD, MSc

Languages spoken: English

Clinical Locations

Primary Location

Imaging & Neurosciences Center

729 Arapeen Dr
Salt Lake City , UT 84108
801-585-3223
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Midvalley Health Center Dermatology

Dermatology
243 East 6100 South
Murray , UT 84107
801-581-2955
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South Jordan Health Center

Otolaryngology/ENT
5126 West Daybreak Parkway
South Jordan , UT 84009
801-585-3223
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Sarah Akkina, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor and serves as Division Chief for Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery within the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at University of Utah Health. Dr. Akkina’s clinical interests include functional and cosmetic rhinoplasty, aging face (including surgical treatments and injectables), facial trauma, cancer reconstruction, facial nerve damage, congenital anomalies, including microtia, and vascular malformations.

Dr. Akkina is a Stanford fellowship-trained Facial Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon and a board-certified Otolaryngology - Head and Neck surgeon. Her passion for personalized patient care and surgical excellence helps her provide an exceptional experience for her patients. Dr. Akkina also teaches advanced surgical trainees and performs research in the field of facial plastic surgery focused on automating image analysis and improving clinical outcomes.

While Dr. Akkina is a Colorado native, she left the region after high school to study and train throughout the country. She is an Ivy League alumna of the University of Pennsylvania, a medical school alumna of the University of Michigan, and a residency graduate from the University of Washington. She is thrilled to finally return to the mountain west to provide clinical care and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

For appointments, please call 801-585-FACE (3223)

Specialties

Board Certification

American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
American Board of Otolaryngology

Patient Rating

Patients consistently describe Dr. Akkina as a highly skilled and knowledgeable surgeon who achieves excellent reconstructive and cosmetic outcomes. Many comments highlight her compassionate, attentive bedside manner—she listens carefully, explains options clearly, and helps patients feel informed and reassured. Reviewers also note strong professionalism and follow-through from Dr. Akkina and her team, including helpful coordination of care and support through treatment and insurance processes.

Generated via Patient Reviews

4.9 /5
( out of 499 reviews )

The patient rating score is an average of all responses on our patient experience survey. The rating averages scores for all questions about care from our providers. The scale on which responses are measured is 1 to 5 with 5 being the best score.

Sarah Akkina, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor and serves as Division Chief for Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery within the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at University of Utah Health. Dr. Akkina’s clinical interests include functional and cosmetic rhinoplasty, aging face (including surgical treatments and injectables), facial trauma, cancer reconstruction, facial nerve damage, congenital anomalies, including microtia, and vascular malformations.

Dr. Akkina is a Stanford fellowship-trained Facial Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon and a board-certified Otolaryngology - Head and Neck surgeon. Her passion for personalized patient care and surgical excellence helps her provide an exceptional experience for her patients. Dr. Akkina also teaches advanced surgical trainees and performs research in the field of facial plastic surgery focused on automating image analysis and improving clinical outcomes.

While Dr. Akkina is a Colorado native, she left the region after high school to study and train throughout the country. She is an Ivy League alumna of the University of Pennsylvania, a medical school alumna of the University of Michigan, and a residency graduate from the University of Washington. She is thrilled to finally return to the mountain west to provide clinical care and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

For appointments, please call 801-585-FACE (3223)

Board Certification and Academic Information

Academic Departments Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery -Assistant Professor (Clinical)
Dermatology -Adjunct Assistant Professor
Board Certification
American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
American Board of Otolaryngology

Education history

Fellowship Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery - Stanford University School of Medicine Fellow
Fellowship National Institutes of Health - Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery - University of Washington Research Fellow
Residency Otolaryngology - University of Washington Resident
Graduate Training Clinical Research - University of Michigan School of Public Health M.Sc.
Professional Medical Medicine - University of Michigan Medical School M.D.
Undergraduate Health and Societies, International Health - University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences B.A.

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Bhatnagar K, Bartho M, Pua E, Datla T, Grewal M, Merkouris H, Champaloux EP, Rincon J, Akkina SR, GN Chi J, Loyo M (2026). The Impact of Septorhinoplasty on Work Productivity and Activity Impairment: A Multi-Institutional, Prospective Cohort. . Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.
  2. Karkoutli A, Kfoury P, Hemeyer B, Monroe M, Akkina SR (2026). Facial Nerve Grafting after Malignant Nerve Sacrifice: Functional Outcomes with and Without Adjuvant Radiation. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med.
  3. Huang H, Kandathil CK, Xu L, Kim CH, Akkina SR, Most SP (2026). Exploring Facial Asymmetry Metrics Correlated with Pre-operative SCHNOS Scores Using AI. Plast Reconstr Surg.
  4. Kandathil CK, Spataro EA, Saltychev M, Kalebjian R, Patel PN, Kim CH, Akkina SR, Kimura KS, Rossi-Meyer M, Longino ES, Truong H, Most SP (2026). Postoperative Pain Management in Rhinoplasty: A Double Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med, 26893614261429310.
  5. Kim T, Abdel-Aty Y, Akkina SR, Ator G, Ballard M, Bhayani MK, Bohm LA, Born H, Bryson P, Carroll TL, Coblens O, Collins A, DeMason CE, Dewan K, Edwards C, Fang CH, Farrell NF, Fox MG, Geelan-Hansen K, Giannoni C, Gross J, Grosz AH, Guardiani E, Hurtuk A, Ji H, Kelley R, Kita AE, Krane NA, Krishna P, Kuhn M, Lobo BC, Madden LL, Misono S, Moyhuddin N, Naunheim MR, OLeary M, Pawar S, Purdy NC, Rabinowitz M, Rameau A, Rieth K, Ruiz JW, Scholes M, Tang AL, Tummala N, Vahabzadeh-Hagh AM, Wang J, Wilcox L, Yaremchuk K, Yu V, Giliberto JP (2026). Gender and Academic Rank Disparities in Electronic Health Record Burden Among Otolaryngologists. Laryngoscope.
  6. Green W, Wei EX, Akkina SR, Pepper JP (2026). National Utilization of Dynamic Facial Nerve Reconstruction Procedures in Pediatric Patients. J Craniofac Surg.
  7. Wei EX, Green A, Pepper JP, Akkina SR (2025). Increasing Incidence of Facial Nerve Disorders in the United States from 2007 to 2022. Laryngoscope.
  8. Wei EX, Green A, Akkina SR, Pepper JP Co-senior authors (2024). Facial Nerve Disorders: Sociodemographic Predictors and Temporal Trends in Dynamic Facial Reanimation in a National Administrative Claims Database. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med, 27(1), 32-38.
  9. Johnson AW, Akkina SR, Bevans SE (2024). Maxillomandibular Fixation: Understanding the Risks and Benefits of Contemporary Techniques in Adults. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med, 27(1), 98-105.
  10. Fullerton Z, Wei EX, Akkina SR, Kimura K, Kandathil C, Most SP (2024). Handheld Ultrasound Detection of Supratrochlear Artery in Forehead Flap Surgery: A Feasibility Study . Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med.
  11. Okland TS, Akkina SR, Perrault D, Most SP (2023). The Single-Stage Melolabial Flap for Internal Lining of Full Thickness Defects of the Nasal Ala . Am J Otolaryngol.
  12. Nguyen E, Flaherty AJ, Akkina SR, Kidwai S, Nuara MJ (2022). Patient-Reported Functional and Aesthetic Outcomes of Underlay Articulated Alar Rim Grafts in Functional Septorhinoplasty. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med.
  13. Akkina SR, Saurey TG, Middleton NA, Mattson NR, Brummet S, Phillips JO, Chambers CB, Moe KS, Mudumbai RC (2021). Factors Associated with Ocular Injury in Orbital Fracture Patients: Who Requires Urgent Ophthalmic Evaluation? Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med.
  14. Akkina SR, Shabbir A, Lahti A, Mudumbai RC, Chambers CB, Moe KS, Phillips JO (2020). Quantifying Eye Alignment in Orbital Fracture Patients: The Digital Hess Screen. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med, 22(6), 427-432.
  15. Akkina SR, Kim RY, Stucken CL, Pynnonen MA, Bradford CR (2019). The current practice of open neck mass biopsy in the diagnosis of head and neck cancer: A retrospective cohort study. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol, 4(1), 57-61.
  16. Akkina SR, Ma CC, Kirkham EM, Horn DL, Chen ML, Parikh SR (2019). Does drug induced sleep endoscopy-directed surgery improve polysomnography measures in children with Down Syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea? Acta Otolaryngol, 138(11), 1009-1013.
  17. Akkina SR, Kim RY, Stucken CL, Pynnonen MA, Bradford CR (2018). Is There a Difference in Staging and Treatment of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Tumors Between Tertiary Care and Community-Based Institutions? Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol, 3(4), 290-295.
  18. Leibman RS, Richardson MW, Ellebrecht CT, Maldini CR, Glover JA, Secreto AJ, Kulikovskaya I, Lacey SF, Akkina SR, Yi Y, Shaheen F, Wang J, Dufendach KA, Holmes MC, Collman RG, Payne AS, Riley JL (2017). Supraphysiologic control over HIV-1 replication mediated by CD8 T cells expressing a re-engineered CD4-based chimeric antigen receptor. PLoS Pathog, 13(10), e1006613.
  19. Hu S, Neff CP, Kumar DM, Habu Y, Akkina SR, Seki T, Akkina R (2016). A humanized mouse model for HIV-2 infection and efficacy testing of a single-pill triple-drug combination anti-retroviral therapy. Virology, 501, 115-118.
  20. Akkina SR, Novis SJ, Keshavarzi NR, Pynnonen MA (2016). Academic institution pilot study shows far fewer diagnoses of sinusitis than reported nationally. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol, 1(5), 124-129.
  21. Patel SA, Liu JJ, Murakami CS, Berg D, Akkina SR, Bhrany AD (2016). Complication Rates in Delayed Reconstruction of the Head and Neck After Mohs Micrographic Surgery. JAMA Facial Plast Surg, 18(5), 340-6.
  22. Novis SJ, Akkina SR, Lynn S, Kern HE, Keshavarzi NR, Pynnonen MA (2016). A diagnostic dilemma: chronic sinusitis diagnosed by non-otolaryngologists. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol, 6(5), 486-90.
  23. Pynnonen MA, Lynn S, Kern HE, Novis SJ, Akkina SR, Keshavarzi NR, Davis MM (2015). Diagnosis and treatment of acute sinusitis in the primary care setting: A retrospective cohort. Laryngoscope, 125(10), 2266-72.
  24. Dombecki C, Shah MM, Eke-Usim A, Akkina SR, Ahrens M, Sturm L, Washer L, Foxman B (2015). The impact of role models on hand hygiene compliance. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol, 36(5), 610-2.
  25. Lin GC, Akkina S, Chinn S, Prince ME, McHugh JB, Carey T, Zacharek MA (2014). Sinonasal inverted papilloma: prognostic factors with emphasis on resection margins. J Neurol Surg B Skull Base, 75(2), 140-6.
  26. Lin GC, Scheel A, Akkina S, Chinn S, Graham M, Komarck C, Walline H, McHugh JB, Prince ME, Carey TE, Zacharek MA (2013). Epidermal growth factor receptor, p16, cyclin D1, and p53 staining patterns for inverted papilloma. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol, 3(11), 885-9.
  27. Akkina R, Berges BK, Palmer BE, Remling L, Neff CP, Kuruvilla J, Connick E, Folkvord J, Gagliardi K, Kassu A, Akkina SR (2011). Humanized Rag1-/- γc-/- mice support multilineage hematopoiesis and are susceptible to HIV-1 infection via systemic and vaginal routes. PLoS One, 6(6), e20169.
  28. Berges BK, Akkina SR, Remling L, Akkina R (2009). Humanized Rag2(-/-)gammac(-/-) (RAG-hu) mice can sustain long-term chronic HIV-1 infection lasting more than a year. Virology, 397(1), 100-3.
  29. Berges BK, Akkina SR, Folkvord JM, Connick E, Akkina R (2008). Mucosal transmission of R5 and X4 tropic HIV-1 via vaginal and rectal routes in humanized Rag2-/- gammac -/- (RAG-hu) mice. Virology, 373(2), 342-51.

Review

  1. Akkina SR, Bevans SE, Johnson AW (2025). Techniques for Maxillomandibular Fixation: Old and New. [Review]. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.
  2. Akkina SR, Most SP (2022). The Effect of Perichondrium on Cartilage Graft Properties . [Review]. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.
  3. Akkina SR, Most SP (2021). Treatment of the Crooked Nose. [Review]. Clin Plast Surg, 49(1), 111-121.
  4. Akkina SR, Parikh SR (2018). Pediatric Septoplasty. [Review]. Oper Tech Otolayngol Head Neck Surg, 29(2), 66-69.
  5. Berens AM, Akkina SR, Patel SA (2017). Complications in facial Mohs defect reconstruction. [Review]. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 25(4), 258-264.

Book Chapter

  1. Akkina SR, Sie KCY (2025). Chapter 22: Surgery for Velopharyngeal Dysfunction: Furlow Palatoplasty. In Cleft Palate and Velopharyngeal Dysfunction.
  2. Akkina SR, Patel PN, Most SP (2023). Grafts in Rhinoplasty. In Comprehensive Rhinoplasty: Structural and Preservation Concepts.
  3. Akkina SR, Most SP (2023). Treatment of the Asymmetric Nose. In Comprehensive Rhinoplasty: Structural and Preservation Concepts.

Other

  1. Akkina SR (2025). "Emerging Trends and Technologies: Red Light, Blue Light,- Useful or Too Hyped? Newsletter,. Facial Plastic Times, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Inc. November/December 2025, Vol. 46, No. 5.

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