Otolaryngologist in California

Dr. Karen Fong specializes in advanced care for complex disorders of the nose, paranasal sinuses and skull base.

Dr. Fong completed her undergraduate degree at Stanford University, where she received a dual B.S. and M.S. in Biological Sciences. She received her M.D. degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. She went on to complete her residency training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, IL. Following the completion of residency, Dr. Fong spent two years as a NIH post-doctoral research fellow, studying the effects of steroids on olfaction.

After completing her residency and post-doctoral research fellowship, Dr. Fong joined the full-time faculty at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland Oregon as a member of the Oregon Sinus Center.

In 2007, Dr. Fong moved from Portland to join Dr. Winston Vaughan in Northern California at the California Sinus Centers, where she became the co-director of the Fellowship in Rhinology and Advanced Sinus Surgery at the California Sinus Centers.

Dr. Fong has been active as a leader and educator in the field of rhinology. She is an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Stanford University. She has served on the Board of Directors of the American Rhinologic Society (ARS), has chaired the ARS Membership Committee, and has served on the Rhinology and Allergy Education Committee for the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Dr. Fong has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and speaks nationally on topics related to rhinology and sinusitis. She also participates in multiple clinical research trials related to the field of rhinology.

Dr. Fong is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Otolaryngology (AAO-HNS) and a Fellow of the American Rhinologic Society (ARS) and the American College of Surgeons. She has been elected by her peers for inclusion in “Best Doctors in America.” Her practice is centered in the East Bay, and she is on staff at John Muir Hospital, San Ramon Regional Medical Center, San Ramon Surgery Center, and Sequoia Surgical Pavilion.
Outside of work, she enjoys golfing, gardening, and spending time with friends and family.

Selected Publications

Matheny KE, Carter KB Jr, Tseng EY, Fong KJ. Safety, feasibility, and efficacy of placement of steroid-eluting bioabsorbable sinus implants in the office setting: a prospective case series. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2014 Oct;4(10):808-15.

Matheny KE, Tseng EY, Carter KB Jr, Cobb WB, Fong KJ. Self-cross-linked hyaluronic acid hydrogel in ethmoidectomy: a randomized, controlled trial. Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2014 Nov-Dec;28(6):508-13.

Hwang PH, Woo RJ, Fong KJ. Intranasal deposition of nebulized saline: a radionuclide distribution study. Am J Rhinol. 2006 May-Jun;20(3):255-61.

Zacharek MA, Hwang PH, Fong KJ. The office management of recalcitrant sinusitis. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2004 Apr;37(2):365-79.