Emma K. Charters is an Otolaryngologist based in the Department Of Head And Neck Surgery in Sydney, NSW. She looks after people with problems that affect the head and neck, especially when it involves breathing, speaking, swallowing, and facial movement.
In her day-to-day work, Emma treats conditions like Bell’s Palsy and facial paralysis. These can be scary and frustrating, because they often change how a person looks and how they manage everyday things like eating, drinking, and speaking. At times, she also helps with ongoing issues that come with facial weakness, and works with patients on what to do next.
Emma also cares for people who have swallowing difficulty. When swallowing isn’t working well, it can lead to problems such as pneumonia, and it can make meals feel unsafe or uncomfortable. She understands that swallowing issues don’t just affect the body, they can affect confidence too, so care needs to be practical and steady.
Another big part of her work is looking after cancers in the tongue and head and neck area. This includes tongue cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). She is involved in the care around procedures such as glossectomy, and she also supports people who have had laryngectomy. Cancer care is a journey, and it can involve changing plans along the way depending on how things go.
Emma’s clinical work also covers voice and speech concerns. For example, she treats spasmodic dysphonia, which can make the voice sound tight or uneven. She also works with people who have palatopharyngeal incompetence, a condition that can affect how air and sound move when you talk, and how well you manage swallowing.
Over time, Emma has built experience in managing a range of head and neck conditions, from nerve-related problems and swallowing issues through to cancer care. Her focus stays on getting the right treatment plan for the situation, and helping patients understand what to expect at each step.
Her clinic work is set in the Sydney head and neck surgical service, where teams coordinate care for complex problems. While every patient’s case is different, Emma aims to keep things clear, calm, and grounded, especially when the issues are hard to deal with.