Meet David Bracken, M.D.

Dr. Bracken is a board-certified ENT physician with fellowship training in laryngology, the subspecialty dedicated to disorders of the voice, swallowing, and airway. He provides comprehensive ENT care while specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of voice, swallowing, and breathing disorders.

Before returning to San Diego, Dr. Bracken served as Director of the Voice, Swallow, and Airway Center at a major academic medical center, where he led a multidisciplinary program caring for patients with complex voice, airway, and swallowing disorders.

He completed advanced fellowship training in Laryngology and Care of the Professional Voice at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), following residency in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California, San Diego. He also completed a year of National Institutes of Health research in neuro-laryngology focused on developing noninvasive technologies to evaluate voice and swallowing function. He earned his medical degree from the University of Texas School of Medicine at Houston.

Dr. Bracken’s approach to caring for the voice is shaped by both his medical expertise and his experience as a performing artist. As a former Houston Grand Opera performer with undergraduate training in vocal performance and choral education, he brings a unique perspective to caring for singers, performers, and all professional voice users—including teachers, attorneys, broadcasters, voice actors, clergy, public speakers, and others who rely on their voice every day.

His surgical expertise includes advanced awake endoscopic procedures, laser microsurgery, vocal fold microsurgery, and surgery of the throat and trachea.

Dr. Bracken believes the best outcomes come from personalized, collaborative care. He partners closely with speech-language pathologists and physicians across multiple specialties to provide patient-centered treatment that helps people regain their voice, swallow with confidence, breathe more comfortably, and enjoy the highest possible quality of life.

Outside of work, Dr. Bracken enjoys spending time with his family, making music, traveling, and exploring the outdoors.