Sivi Bakthavachalam (Baktha), M.D. was born in Beaverton, Oregon and grew up in Colorado Springs at the eastern foot of the Rocky Mountains. He was a nationally ranked table tennis player when I was in middle school and was Colorado state debate champion his senior year of high school. As exciting as those championships were, he found his true dream was to become a doctor. His greatest influences were during his time as a volunteer patient transporter at the local hospital and the fact that many of family members worked in the medical field. He was particularly inspired by seeing the impact they had on the people they cared for.

While in medical school Dr. Baktha discovered that he could relate the most to the residents and attendings he worked with during his surgical training. He was especially drawn to the fact that they all seemed happy in their career choice. Today, Dr. Baktha specializes in pediatric airways, head and neck surgery and neck masses.

"I always enjoyed working with my hands in a technical way and so I knew I wanted to be in a surgical field. I chose ENT because of the nice mix of medicine and surgery." Having young kids of his own, Dr. Baktha empathizes with how parents feel when they bring their kids to see him.

"It's always a bit scary to have to bring your kids to a surgeon. I think I can advise parents in a calm way and help them make a decision about their child's condition in an informed manner."

Dr. Baktha believes that making health care decisions for a child should always be joint decisions involving the physician, family, patient and all of the child's important caregivers. He takes the time to explain everything to parents in a way they can understand. He always tells them their options and even shares how he would treat his own kids.

"After having kids, I was able to truly see things through the eyes of the parents and what I would want to know before making a medical decision for my child. Additionally, although I am a surgeon, it has also made me think more conservatively before recommending surgery as a primary option. If I do feel that surgery is the only option, I take extra time to make sure the parents understand why that is the case."

When he's not seeing patients, Dr. Baktha loves to go skiing and looks forward to his family's yearly trip. He also enjoys swimming with his family, playing tennis, trying new restaurants and just spending time with his wife, two girls and their mini Goldendoodle, Hobbes. Also, he really wants to get better at chess and golf.