Driven to Change Lives
Philip A. Harris, MD FACS
Otolaryngology/ENT
Wichita Clinic
316-613-4680
Born and raised in a remote land-locked African country called the Central African Republic, Philip Harris, MD FACS was exposed at an early age to subsistence living, diamond mining and hot African sun. His parents were missionaries and raised their children to understand the importance of being employed.
After moving to the United States in 1985, Dr. Harris took his first step toward discovering his career path by attending college at Ohio State University. “I studied Animal Science and paid my way through college milking cows, emptying trash, doing security work and any other paying job I could find,” he explains.
Dr. Harris had dreamed of being a veterinarian since he was four years old and decided to attend the College of Veterinary Medicine. During this time, Dr. Harris discovered the whole world of medicine and was fascinated with the diversity within the field. On track to receive his veterinary degree, a tragic experience occurred that would change his life forever.
“My niece had to come back to Cincinnati, Ohio from New Zealand to receive specialized neurosurgical care and eventually passed away with a brain tumor at a very young age,” Dr. Harris explains. “At that time, I saw that my love for animals and veterinary medicine was great, but it was nothing compared to the value of that little girl.”
Dr. Harris did complete his veterinary degree, but decided to alter his career path and turned toward human medicine. “I wanted to do something that could really improve people’s lives,” says Dr. Harris.
During his third year of medical school at Ohio State University College of Medicine, Dr. Harris discovered Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) and liked the variety in patients and procedures. “The field of otolaryngology is very diverse and I liked that I could help people of all ages with small and large disease processes,” says Harris.
Dr. Harris was then accepted to the University of Michigan, where he completed an internship and his Otolaryngology Residency. He was board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology and became a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Now that his medical training was complete, it was time to fulfill a four-year full-time service obligation at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, DC.
As the end of his Air Force obligation drew near, Dr. Harris had to decide where he wanted to practice medicine. “We visited Wichita, Kansas on a beautiful spring week,” Dr. Harris remembers. “Everyone seemed so nice and I could actually drive from one part of town to the next without fighting traffic.” Harris moved his family to Wichita in 2007 and joined Wichita Clinic, PA.
After three years in practice, Dr. Harris wanted to invest more energy into furthering his training. “In 2009, I travelled to Washington, DC again for coursework and training and learned the Balloon Sinuplasty technique. This procedure allows surgeons to reestablish normal ventilation and drainage patterns for the frontal, maxillary and sphenoid sinuses. A balloon is inserted in the sinus passage way with a catheter and then inflated. The inflated balloon clears the sinuses without requiring the surgical removal of bone and tissue.” This less invasive treatment minimizes patient discomfort and offers improved recovery time.
Dr. Harris also discovered another new exciting tool in the da Vinci® robot. He called the company and learned there was application in ENT and that FDA approval was coming for treating head and neck cancer. Dr. Harris jumped at the opportunity to do more training and went to Boston, MA; College Station, TX; Houston, TX; and Birmingham, AL to train on the da Vinci®. “I learned how to remove tonsil tumors, tongue tumors, tumors above the voice box with the robot and saw applications for the thyroid and neck,” says Dr. Harris.
With the help of local hospitals, Dr. Harris started the first Trans-Oral Robotic Surgery service available in the tri-county area. “This is an exciting opportunity for patients,” he reveals. “Now tumors can be removed with better, cleaner margins. Patients can go home sooner and return to their daily life and job faster.”
Dr. Harris and his wife Mala have been married for 17 years and have three sons who all hope to one day follow in their father’s footsteps as physicians. Enthusiastic and a busy doctor, Dr. Harris is dedicated to keeping up on the latest technology and medical advances. He practices at Wichita Clinic Founders’ Circle (1947 Founders’ Circle, Wichita), Wichita Clinic Bethel (720 Medical Center Dr, Newton) and Wichita Clinic Eberly Farm (13213 W 21st St N, Wichita). Appointments can be made by calling 316-613-4680. For additional information on Dr. Harris, you may visit wichitaclinic.com.