Garret W. Choby, MD, is an associate professor of otolaryngology—head and neck surgery—with a dual appointment in neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He specializes in sinus and skull base surgery.
Dr. Choby completed his otolaryngology residency at UPMC followed by fellowship training in rhinology and skull base surgery at Stanford University. Following fellowship training, he joined the faculty at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., with joint appointments in the Departments of Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery, where he served as the chair of quality and had a domestic and international referral practice for sinonasal cancers, skull base tumors and refractory sinus disease. He was subsequently recruited back to UPMC where he serves in his current role.
Dr. Choby is a diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology and a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery, the American Rhinologic Society (ARS), and the North American Skull Base Society. He is a nationally recognized leader in sinus and skull base disorders and is a regular invited lecturer nationally and internationally. He has previously been named departmental teacher of the year and is a three-time recipient of the Press-Ganey patient experience award. Dr. Choby is the chair-elect of the Skull Base and Orbital Surgery section of the ARS and chair of the ARS educational courses committee.
Dr. Choby’s clinical focus includes sinonasal malignancies, skull base tumors, inflammatory sinus disease and aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease. He enjoys a collaborative practice with his neurosurgical colleagues, offering comprehensive care for patients with complex skull base tumors. Active research areas include improving quality of life (QOL) following endoscopic skull base surgery and improving survival in patients with sinonasal malignancies. Highlights of ongoing studies include proliferative and transcriptomic profiling of sinonasal mucosal melanoma, a multi-site prospective investigation on chemosensory and QOL dysfunction following endoscopic skull base surgery and a multi-site consortium prospectively evaluating survival outcomes and transcriptomic profiling of sinonasal malignancies. He has published over 130 peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Specialized Areas of Interest
Endoscopic and open skull base surgery; management of sinonasal malignancies; esthesioneuroblastoma; sinonasal mucosal melanoma; juvenile nasal angiofibroma; cerebrospinal fluid leak repair; endoscopic orbital surgery; endoscopic sinus surgery.
Board Certifications
American Board of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery
Hospital Privileges
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC
UPMC Mercy
UPMC Presbyterian
UPMC Shadyside
Professional Organization Membership
American Academy of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery
American Rhinologic Society
North American Skull Base Society
Education & Training
- MD, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 2008-11
- Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery Residency, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 2011-16
- Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery Fellowship, Stanford University, 2016-17
Honors & Awards
- Patient Experience Award, Mayo Clinic, 2020-23
- Gold Certification Award, Mayo Clinic Quality Academy, 2021
- Outstanding Professor of the Year, Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck, Mayo Clinic, 2021
- Minnesota Top Doctors, 2022
Research Activities
Multi-institutional prospective outcomes of sinonasal malignancy treatment; quality of life outcomes following endoscopic skull base surgery; immunotherapy use for sinonasal mucosal melanoma; physician well-being and burnout.