Larry D. Hartzell

Assistant Professor

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

faculty

Otolaryngology, College of Medicine

11 h-index 43 pubs 403 cited

Research Areas

Child and Adolescent Health Congenital Heart Disease Studies Reconstructive Surgery and Microvascular Techniques Health disparities and outcomes Health Sciences Research and Education Infant Development and Preterm Care Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods

Links

ORCID Lab Website Research Group UAMS TRI Profile

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OverviewAI-generated summary

Dr. Larry Hartzell's research focuses on pediatric otolaryngology, with a particular emphasis on conditions affecting the head and neck in children, including orofacial clefts and velopharyngeal insufficiency. He directs the cleft team at Arkansas Children's Hospital and has published work evaluating treatment outcomes for velopharyngeal insufficiency, such as comparing pharyngeal flap versus sphincter pharyngoplasty and assessing lined versus unlined pharyngeal flaps. His investigations also extend to the application of algorithms in craniofacial distraction and the clinical significance of screening electrocardiograms for infantile hemangioma treatment. Dr. Hartzell has explored the geographic distribution and potential environmental risk factors associated with orofacial cleft anomalies using statewide birth defects registry data.

His academic contributions include peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and participation in educational initiatives. He has co-authored publications on hybrid international educational workshops for cleft care and the effects of longitudinal suture curricula on medical student confidence. Dr. Hartzell's scholarship metrics include an h-index of 11, with 43 total publications and 403 citations. He collaborates with researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, including James Reed Gardner, Olivia Speed, Gresham T. Richter, and Yuri A. Zárate.

Research Overview

Dr. Larry Hartzell attended Brigham Young University where he received his undergraduate degree in Zoology with a human biology emphasis. He spent 2 years as a missionary for his Church in Colombia where he became fluent in Spanish. Dr. Hartzell earned his medical degree at The University of Arizona College of Medicine. He completed a residency in Otolaryngology (ENT) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He then completed fellowship training in Pediatric Otolaryngology at Arkansas Children's Hospital (ACH). He has been the director of the cleft team at ACH since 2012. Dr. Hartzell is an active participant in multiple local as well as national committees and is academically active with many peer reviewed articles in addition to book chapters and other publications. He is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and is a Certified Complex Pediatric Otolaryngologist. He is a member of numerous medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. His major research interests include cleft lip and palate medical and surgical management as well as velopharyngeal insufficiency. Dr. Hartzell has a strong interest in medical humanitarian mission efforts and has participated in humanitarian efforts in China, Guatemala, Egypt and Ecuador. He is a Professor of Otolaryngology and also the Program Director of the Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship at Arkansas Children's Hospital. He also provides surgical care at Arkansas Children's Northwest.

Metrics

h-index: 11
Publications: 43
Citations: 403

Selected Publications

Surgical Repair of Unilateral Cleft Alveolus Using Viable Bone Allograft in Pediatrics: A Case Report (2025) DOI
Evaluating Geographic Distribution and Potential Environmental Risk Factors of Orofacial Cleft Anomalies Utilizing a Statewide Birth Defects Registry (2025) DOI
Myringoplasty Using Human Birth Tissue Allografts to Repair Large Tympanic Membrane Perforations (2024) DOI
Is There Utility in Preoperative Testing of Hemoglobin Before Primary Cheiloplasty? (2024) DOI
Outcomes After Pharyngeal Flap Surgery in Children: A Comparison of Lined Versus Unlined Flaps (2023) DOI
Quantitative Phenotype Morbidity Description of SATB2-Associated Syndrome (2023) DOI
P369: SATB2-associated syndrome severity score: Genotype/phenotype correlations and the SATB2 portal (2023) DOI
The First Hybrid International Educational Comprehensive Cleft Care Workshop (2022) DOI
Retrospective Examination of the GILLS Algorithm Applied to Mandibular Distraction (2021) DOI
Clinical Significance of Screening Electrocardiograms for the Administration of Propranolol for Problematic Infantile Hemangiomas (2021) DOI

Research Interests

Dr. Hartzell’s first exposure to research was during his undergraduate study years at Brigham Young University. He was able to participate in multiple projects in a chemistry laboratory during that time, mostly related to ancient Egyptian Mummies, which exposed him to much of the bench-top research techniques and protocols. His research experience continued in medical school at the University Of Arizona College Of Medicine where he took the opportunity to apply for an NIH student grant that allowed him to once again work in a chemistry lab. This time he studied the brown recluse spider and its relatives isolating the active enzyme in their venom. Upon entering residency in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and UAMS, Dr. Hartzell sought out opportunities to further engage in research and was able to become involved with multiple clinical research projects that led to publication and podium presentations as well as posters. This played a part in motivating Dr. Hartzell to pursue his academic interests in fellowship and future employment in the academic institution of UAMS. Dr. Hartzell was productive as a fellow participating in some international meetings and this expanded as he became faculty at UAMS. As a busy clinician, much of Dr. Hartzell’s time has been dedicated to direct patient care as well as his administrative duties as cleft team director and fellowship director among other things. As a result, the amount of time that he has been able to dedicate solely to research has been unfortunately limited. However, through working with students and trainees of multiple levels, Dr. Hartzell has been able to continue to be academically active in the research arena. He continues to present at national and international meetings on the clinical work he is engaged in and the students, residents and fellows he has mentored in this process. His biggest research accomplishments have been the development and maintenance of a new cleft and craniofacial database to allow for quality improvement projects as well as data for a myriad of possible scientific protocols and projects. This is actively being populated and studies generated from this database.