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Ryan Neilan MD, MBA, FACS, FARS

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Dr. Neilan is a Diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He has served nationally on the “Rhinology and Paranasal Sinuses Committee” and is one of few Surgeons distinguished as a Fellow of the American Rhinologic Society in the Greater Houston area. Dr. Neilan is the Director of Interventional Endocrinology and is the first Head & Neck Surgeon in Texas to offer Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation.

Specialties:

Adult and Pediatric ENT, Rhinology, Allergy, Sinus, and Thyroid RFA

Languages:

English

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Patient Testimonial

Dr. Neilan has been my ENT for several years.

by L.B

He has done surgery on my sinuses, and has been very helpful. He is a professional and is at the top of his game. The doctor and the entire staff are polite and efficient. I’ve recommended them to my friends and family.


Ear & Hearing

The ears help us hear the sounds around us, as well as maintain our balance when we stand and walk. When pieces of the ear are infected or begin not to work properly, your hearing and balance can be impacted.

  • Hearing Aids Dispensing
  • Ear Hygiene and Wax Removal
  • Ear Tubes
  • Repair of Eardrum Perforation
  • Hearing Loss
  • Ear Infections
  • Dizziness
  • Complicated Ear Disorders
  • Hearing Testing

Allergy

Allergies are the immune system’s abnormal response to a foreign substance around you. These are items that don’t cause a reaction in all patients, but your immune system has found them to be harmful and reacted. Allergies can include environmental allergens such as dust and pollen, as well as food or medications.

  • Allergy Shots
  • Allergy Drops
  • Food Allergy Testing
  • Environmental Allergy
  • Allergy Testing

Sinus

Your sinuses are hollow cavities that help found around the noses and eyes. Their walls are lined with mucus that helps filter and humidify our air. If this mucus does not drain properly, the sinuses can become blocked. This leads to problems such as sinus infections or other conditions.

  • Surgery for Nasal Polyps and Chronic Sinusitism
  • Septoplasty Deviated Septum Surgery
  • Nasal Turbinate Reduction
  • In-Office CT Imaging
  • Nasal Fractures
  • Deviated Nasal Septum
  • Congestion (Nasal Blockage)
  • Nasal Drainage
  • Sinus Infections
  • Loss of Sense of Taste and Smell
  • Balloon Sinuplasty

Sleep

Sleep is an essential part of preparing yourself for the day ahead. We’ve all experienced the difficulties that a lousy night of sleep can cause. For those with sleep disorders, achieving a good night of sleep can be even more challenging and even require medical intervention to be achieved.

  • Inspire Procedure
  • Airlift Procedure
  • Prescribe and Monitor CPAP
  • Sleep Apnea Testing
  • Sleep Apnea Surgery
  • Snoring
  • Sleep Apnea
  • Evaluation of Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Head & Neck

The head and neck are hosts to different types of glands that help us maintain our health. Much like other areas of the body, the head and neck and the glands within can experience infection, swelling, and cancer. This can affect the overall balance of our health and the systems that maintain it.

  • Thyroid Surgery
  • Parathyroid Surgery
  • Salivary Gland Surgery
  • Head and Neck Cancer Evaluation & Surgery
  • Tonsillectomy
  • Adenoidectomy
  • Thyroid Masses
  • Neck Masses
  • Salivary Glands Masses
  • Head and Neck Cancers Evaluation and Treatment
  • Enlarged Lymph Nodes
  • Abnormal Parathyroid Glands
  • Chronic Tonsils and Adenoid Infections
  • Endoscopic Inspection of the Throat and Voice Box (Flexible Laryngoscopy)

Voice & Swallowing

Our voices can help us connect and communicate with the world around us. While speaking can seem easily achieved, it is really the work of several muscles and organs working together to achieve sound. If one of these muscles is strained or infected, the voice or swallowing can be impacted.

  • Complicated Voice Disorders
  • Vocal Cord Tumors
  • Acid Reflux
  • Hoarseness
  • Difficulty Swallowing
  • Vocal Cord Nodules and Polyps
  • Vocal Cord and Voice Examination

Provider Biography

Dr. Neilan developed a love for science as a child while spending time in his grandfather’s chemistry lab and chilly office basement at Purdue University. In school, he developed an affinity for Biology (but not for Algebra) and decided to pursue a career in Medicine. Ryan attended the University of Texas at Austin, graduating with a degree in Human Biology with Honors in just three years. While there, he worked at the Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, performing research on the dysregulation of tumor suppressor genes in cancer cells. He attended the University of Texas Medical Branch, where he was the Valedictorian of his medical school with Highest Honors. Dr. Neilan completed his residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He received a William P. Potsic Award from the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology for his work in developing a novel animal model to study airway defects. He is also an author in many other scientific publications, including the New England Journal of Medicine. Ryan attained an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management (his family who attended Purdue has mostly forgiven him). Dr. Neilan also has a graduate certification from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the Sloan School of Management. 

Dr. Neilan is the Chairman of the Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Division at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center. He is a member of the Houston Methodist Physicians’ Alliance for Quality, a Diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.  He is one of the few surgeons distinguished as a Fellow of the American Rhinologic Society in the greater Houston area.  He has served on the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery’s “Rhinology and Paranasal Sinus Committee.” Administratively Dr. Neilan sits on the Senior Physicians Board and is the Director of Finance.  He has been honored as a Vitals “Top 10 Doctor” and received both the “Patients’ Choice Award” and the “Compassionate Doctor Recognition.”  His peers have repeatedly selected Ryan as a “Texas Super Doctors, Rising Star.”

Clinically he sees the breadth of general Otorhinolaryngology, with an interest in Rhinology/Allergy/Sinonasal Surgery and Pediatric Otolaryngology. Dr. Neilan utilizes advanced and minimally invasive techniques such as endoscopic septoplasty, revision sinus surgery, image-guided surgical navigation, as well as in-office balloon sinuplasty in The Woodlands. He is the Director of Interventional Endocrinology and is the first Head & Neck Surgeon in Texas to offer in-office Radiofrequency Ablation treatment for thyroid nodules.

He has a young daughter who absolutely does not wish to follow in his medical footsteps but does love Mathematics. Dr. Neilan enjoys golf (especially in Ireland), nonfiction books, cooking at home, his Rhodesian Ridgeback, Chicago sports, and lifelong learning.

#NeilanNoseBest

Dr. Neilan sees patients at The Woodlands Pinecroft.

Background media

Education

Dr. Ryan E. Neilan, MD FACS FARS, attended The University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated with Honors while obtaining a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Biology in just three years. He then went on to graduate Valedictorian at The University of Texas Medical Branch, receiving his Medical Doctorate with Highest Honors, as well as various other academic awards.

Graduate Certification 

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory  

  • Sloan School of Management 

Master of Business Administration 

  • Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

Surgical Residency 

  • University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas

Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery 

Doctor of Medicine

  • University of Texas Medical Branch 

Valedictorian / Bachelor of Science

  • The University of Texas at Austin 

Human Biology with Honors

Awards and Honors

  • Texas Super Doctors, Rising Star
  • Valedictorian, UTMB School of Medicine 
  • George Edward Longshie Award for Academic Excellence 
  • Mavis P. Kelsey M.D., Award for Medical Excellence 
  • William P. Potsic Basic Science Award 
  • UT Southwestern Medical Center Resident Research Award 
  • Thomas F. Nealon, M.D., Endowed Award for Excellence in Surgery 
  • McGraw-Hill and Lange Medical Award for Academic Excellence 
  • John P. McGovern Award in Oslerian Medicine, Finalist 
  • Llyod Storrs Lectureship, Texas Academy of Otolaryngology 
  • Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society 
  • UT Austin College Scholar 

Professional Memberships 

  • Diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 
  • Fellow, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery 
  • Fellow, American College of Surgeons 
  • Fellow, American Rhinologic Society 
  • Kellogg Alumni Club of Houston
  • Harris County Medical Society 

“My goal is to utilize the latest medical techniques to help patients achieve the best possible outcomes”

With undefined convenient locations across the greater Houston & San Antonio areas, we’re never far away.

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