Dale B. Smith, D.O. is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. He trained with several well known Head and Neck surgeons including Dr. Al Novak at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. During his residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington, Dr. Smith conducted original bench and animal research involving nerve monitoring during neck surgery. This research lead to his development of an FDA-approved device for monitoring and protecting the recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgery. This device, the first of its kind in the world, underwent human testing under Dr. Smith’s supervision in several medical institutions. A patented device using some of this technology is now used by Dr. Smith during thyroid and parathyroid surgery here in Lawton.

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Dr. Smith also served as the first and only Head and Neck surgeon deployed with U.S. forces during the early months of Desert Shield/Storm. Dr. Smith commanded a hospital unit with the 47th Field Hospital that left from Fort Sill within a few weeks of the invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Dr. Smith performed hundreds of head and neck procedures as part of this service to U.S. and allied soldiers. He also operated in the Bahraini Defense Hospital at the request of Bahraini military leaders while stationed on the island nation of Bahrain. Dr. Smith was privileged to treat members of the ruling royal family of Bahrain as well as perform surgery on the personal staff of General Norman Schwartskoff. Much of what he experienced during his military service, allows a greater insight and perspective in treating private civilian patients today.

Dr. Smith maintains a very active head and neck cancer practice. He endorses a team approach to treatment of this potentially deadly disease by serving as the surgeon consultant with medical oncologists and radiation physicians at area cancer centers. Dr. Smith understands that prompt and accurate diagnosis is the key to early treatment and the best survival outcomes in head and neck cancer.

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After the initial treatment, our patients are enrolled in a tumor surveillance program here at the Institute to closely monitor the patient for any evidence of reoccurrence of the tumor. Dr. Smith was the first in Oklahoma, and remains the only surgeon in this area, to utilize the state-of-the-art office exam known as a transnasal esophagoscopy (TNE) for monitoring head and neck cancer. Similar to the upper scope (EGD) used by gastroenterologists to exam the esophagus, stomach, and small bowels; the TNE allows screening exams of the esophagus in the office. This procedure can be done in a chair without the need for IV sedation or hospitalization required for an EGD. This exam is an important periodic screening exam for head and neck cancer patients because the esophagus is one of the most common and feared areas that recurrent cancer can hide.

Thyroid surgery is another area where Dr. Smith has special expertise. In addition to his personal development of a device for the monitoring of nerves that control the vocal cords during thyroid surgery, Dr. Smith also utilizes immediate testing of the parathyroid hormone levels to guard against injury to the parathyroid glands during thyroid surgery. This has reduced the rate of injury to the vocal cord nerves (recurrent laryngeal nerves) and to the parathyroid glands to far below the national average for thyroid surgery. These excellent results have lead many doctors and the patients themselves, to refer others to the Institute for their thyroid problems.

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Services We Provide

• Head and Neck Cancer Surgery

• Head and Neck cancer follow up and monitoring program

• Thyroid Diseases and surgery

• Parathyroid surgery

• Evaluation and surgery of neck masses

• Parotid and submandibular gland surgery