Dr. William E. Bolger

William E. Bolger, M.D., is a nationally and internationally recognized expert on minimally invasive endoscopic sinus surgery, revision sinus surgery, paranasal sinus anatomy, and chronic sinusitis.  His special areas of expertise also include minimally invasive repair of cerebrospinal fluid leaks, encephaloceles, sinonasal tumors, and tearing problems.  He has authored over 100 publications, including a major textbook, and has given over 275 lectures to physicians worldwide.  Dr. Bolger has been recognized by the Best Doctors in America®, America’s Top Doctors®, the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, and has received the Honor Award of the of the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology and is a Fellow of the American Rhinologic Society, the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, and the American College of Surgeons.
 Dr. William E. Bolger Suburban ENT of Suburban Hospital Bethesda Maryland MD

Dr. Bolger received his formal medical training at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland, and graduated with distinction in 1986.  He then completed a year of general surgery training (internship) followed by four years of specialty training in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery  (residency) at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, in San Antonio, Texas.  Thereafter, he received an additional year of sub-specialty training (fellowship) in Rhinology and Sinus Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania and at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.  During this time, he studied under Dr. David W. Kennedy, who introduced and popularized endoscopic sinus surgery in the U.S., and Dr. Pontus Stierna, a leading research expert in the causes of sinus disease.  Dr. Bolger received additional training from several other experts including Dr. Frederick A. Kuhn of the Georgia Sinus Center, a leading expert in frontal sinus surgery, and Dr. David S. Parsons, a leading expert in pediatric sinus surgery.

After training, Dr. Bolger served as the leading expert on sinus surgery in the US federal health system as Chief of Rhinology and Sinus Surgery at Walter Reed US Army Medical Center and Attending Otolaryngologist at the National Naval Medical Center from 1992-1999.  Patients with unique and difficult sinus problems were referred to him for care, from all parts of the United States, as well as from many other countries.  In 1999, he left active military duty to work as Chief of Rhinology and Sinus Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Health System.  In this position, he treated patients with difficult sinus problems that had failed treatment at other facilities, and developed and refined minimally invasive surgical approaches to repair cerebrospinal fluid leaks and to treat encephaloceles.  Dr. Bolger’s interest in developing better treatments for patients led him to devote a portion of his career to research, serving as Professor and Chief, Division of Surgical Research, at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.  After making several research contributions, Dr. Bolger elected to develop a clinical practice dedicated to caring for patients with nasal, sinus and skull base conditions.  He now offers his extensive experience and training to treat complex rhinologic problems for patients in our community.

Sinus Surgeons Maryland Bethesda Washington DC Suburban Hospital
Conditions that Dr. Bolger Treats

  • Sinusitis
  • Rhinitis
  • Deviated nasal septum
  • Cerebrospinal fluid leak (sinonasal location)
  • Encephaloceles (sinonasal location)
  • Benign and malignant tumors of the nose and sinuses
  • Endoscopic treatment of thyroid eye disease (proptosis)
  • Nasal, sinus, and facial trauma/fractures

Sinus Surgeons Maryland Bethesda Washington DC Suburban Hospital
Surgeries Dr. Bolger Performs

  • Endoscopic sinus surgery
  • Revision sinus surgery
  • Endoscopic repair of CSF leaks
  • Endoscopic treatment of encephaloceles
  • Endoscopic surgery for nasal and sinus tumors
  • Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR)
  • Endoscopic orbital decompression
  • Classic open (non-endoscopic) sinus surgery
  • Image-guided surgery
  • Catheter-based therapy for the sinuses (Balloon Sinuplasty™) (watch video)

Sinus Surgeons Maryland Bethesda Washington DC Suburban Hospital
Selected Publications

Bolger WE, Vaugh WC. Catheter-based dilation of the sinus ostia: initial safety and feasibility analysis. Am J Rhinology 2006; 20:290-294.

Brown C, Bolger WE. Safety and feasibility of balloon catheter dilatation of paranasal sinus ostia: a preliminary investigation. Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology 2006; 115: 293-9.

Bolger WE. Management of Cerebral Vascular Structures During Endoscopic Treatment of Encephaloceles: A Clinical Report. Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology 2006; 115:167-70.

Bolger WE. The endoscopic transpterygoid approach to the lateral sphenoid recess: surgical approach and initial clinical experience. Otolaryngol Head and Neck Surg 2005; 133:20-26.

Lane AP, Bolger WE. Endoscopic Management of Inverted Papilloma. Curr Opinions in Otolaryngol Head and Neck Surg 2006;4:14-18.

Lindsay R, Slaughter T, Britton-Webb J, Mog SR, Conran R, Monica Tadros M, Earl N, Fox D, Roberts J, Bolger WE. Development of a murine model of chronic sinusitis. Otolaryngol Head and Neck Surg 2006; 134:724-30.

Schlosser RJ. Bolger WE. Image-guided procedures of the skull base. Otolaryngol Clin N Am 2005; 38:483-490.

Bolger WE, Tadros M, Ellenbogen RG, Judy K, Grady MS. Endoscopic management of cerebrospinal fluid leak associated with the use of bone wax in skull base surgery Otolaryngol Head and Neck Surg 2005; 132:418-20.

Schlosser RJ, Bolger WE. Nasal Cerebrospinal fluid leaks: critical review and surgical considerations. Laryngoscope 2004;114:255-265.

Bolger WE, McLaughlin K. The use of cranial bone grafts for endoscopic repair of skull base defects. Am J Rhinology 2003;17:153-157.

Bolger WE, Mawn C. Analysis of the sinus lateralis for endoscopic sinus surgery. Ann Otol, Rhinol and Laryngol 2001;110:1-14, Suppl.186.30:162-166.

Bolger WE, Kuhn FA, Kennedy DW. Middle turbinate stabilization following FES: the controlled synechiae technique. Laryngoscope 1999;109:1852-1853.

Books: Diseases of the Sinuses: Current Therapy and Management. Kennedy DW, Bolger WE, Zinreich SJ, eds., B.C. Decker, Philadelphia, PA, 2001.