It's certainly important to make the correct diagnosis, as in internal medicine, but here you are personally intervening to correct the disease process. Many of Orloff's cases are cancer patients requiring radical neck and head surgery to remove tumors. She also specializes in thyroid and parathyroid surgery, works closely with patients who have voice problems such as lesions on the vocal cord and serves as consultant to the San Diego Opera and San Diego Repertory Theater, helping singers and actors overcome voice disorders. She's worked in that regard, too, with speakers, teachers, attorneys and other professionals who rely heavily on their voices. Once a week, at her voice clinic, she evaluates such cases and will prescribe therapy, which may be as simple as a behavioral change.
Patients are very afraid when their health is at stake and they're coming to see a surgeon.
No one wants surgery. Orloff also specializes in microvascular surgery, which involves transferring tissue from a healthy part of the body to an area heavily damaged by tumors and regenerating it by connecting to fresh blood vessels. In a twofold sense, Orloff is really cut out for this job. As a child, her hobby was sewing clothes and gifts for family and friends, although she stressed that her athletic stamina, stemming from years of running, cycling and participating in sports, was more of a prerequisite. Orloff also devotes a fair amount of time to laboratory and clinical research, although with the heavy demand on patient care she's been forced to spend less and less time in the lab.