Sarah R. Akkina

Sarah R. Akkina, MD, MSc

Languages spoken: English

Clinical Locations

Imaging & Neurosciences Center

801-585-3223

South Jordan Health Center

Otolaryngology/ENT
801-213-4500

  • Sarah Akkina, MD, MS, has joined the Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery as an Assistant Professor and Director of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Utah.


    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.

    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

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

    Specialties

  • Sarah Akkina, MD, MS, has joined the Division of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery as an Assistant Professor and Director of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Utah.


    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.

    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

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

    Education history

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

    Selected Publications

    Journal Article

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. Akkina SR, Parikh SR (2018). Pediatric Septoplasty. Oper Tech Otolayngol Head Neck Surg, 29(2), 66-69.
    7. 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.
    8. 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.
    9. 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.
    10. 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.
    11. 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.
    12. 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.
    13. 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.
    14. 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.
    15. 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.
    16. 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.
    17. 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.
    18. 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, Most SP (2021). Treatment of the Crooked Nose. [Review]. Clin Plast Surg, 49(1), 111-121.
    2. 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, Patel PN, Most SP (Pending). Grafts in Rhinoplasty. In Comprehensive Rhinoplasty: Structural and Preservation Concepts.
    2. Akkina SR, Most SP (Pending). Treatment of the Asymmetric Nose. In Comprehensive Rhinoplasty: Structural and Preservation Concepts.
    3. Akkina SR, Sie KCY (Pending). Chapter 22: Surgery for Velopharyngeal Dysfunction: Furlow Palatoplasty. In Cleft Palate and Velopharyngeal Dysfunction.

  • Podcasts & News

    News

    The Scope Podcast