Dr. Karla O’Dell

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Get to know Laryngologist Dr. Karla O’Dell, who serves patients in Los Angeles, California.

Dr. O’Dell is a laryngologist with Keck Medicine of USC, specializing in hoarseness, swallowing disorders, and airway stenosis.

Among her many titles, she is the Co-Director of the USC Airway Intervention and Reconstruction Center, serves as an Associate Professor of Clinical Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and practices at Keck Medical Center of USC and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital in the San Gabriel Valley. 

Treating all diseases of the ears, nose and throat, her clinical interests include voice disorders in professional and non-professional voice users, swallowing disorders including endoscopic treatments of upper airway disorders, and in-office laser procedures.

Academically, Dr. O’Dell graduated with honors with her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She then went on to earn her medical degree from the University of Southern California School of Medicine in 2008. Furthering her training, she performed her residency in otolaryngology - head and neck surgery at the University of Southern California / /LAC+USC Medical Center, and her fellowship in laryngology and care of the professional voice at Oregon Health Sciences University.

Licensed to practice medicine in California and Oregon, she is board-certified in otolaryngology by the American Board of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. The Board serves the public by assuring that diplomates meet the standards of training, knowledge, and professionalism through initial and continuing certification.

Among her professional affiliations, Dr. O’Dell is an active member of the American Laryngological Association, the Voice Foundation, the Los Angeles Society of Otolaryngology, the American Academy of Otolaryngology, and the Pacific Coast Otolaryngology Society.

Laryngology is a branch of medicine that deals with illnesses and injuries of the larynx (often called the voice box). Laryngologists treat disorders of the larynx, including diseases that affect the voice, swallowing, or upper airway.

Throughout her line of work, Dr. O’Dell has authored several papers and book chapters. Since 2015, she has been a manuscript reviewer for JAMA Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery.

Learn More about Dr. Karla O’Dell:

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