Portrait of Charles Limb
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Charles Limb, MD

Neurotology • Pediatric OtolaryngologyChief, Otology, Neurology and Skull Base Surgery
Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery Mission Bay
415-353-9986
Portrait of Charles Limb
Portrait of Charles Limb
ucsf logobch logo

Charles Limb, MD

Neurotology • Pediatric OtolaryngologyChief, Otology, Neurology and Skull Base Surgery
Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery Mission Bay
415-353-9986

On this page

About me

Dr. Charles Limb is a specialist in ear disorders (otology), including neurological ear disorders (neurotology), as well as skull base surgery. He focuses particularly on treating hearing loss and auditory conditions. His expertise includes all surgeries of the temporal bone. Chief of the UCSF Division of Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery, he is also director of the UCSF Douglas Grant Cochlear Implant Center.

In his research, Limb has investigated the neural basis of musical creativity and has studied music perception in deaf individuals with cochlear implants.

Limb received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his medical degree from Yale School of Medicine. He completed a residency and fellowship in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Center for Hearing and Balance, and a second postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health.

Limb is the UCSF Francis A. Sooy Professor of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Previously, he was associate professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery and a faculty member at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University.

Education & training

Board certification

  • Neurotology, American Board of Otolaryngology
  • Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, American Board of Otolaryngology

Fellowship

  • Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Univ Neurology Residency Program

Residency

  • Otolaryngology, Johns Hopkins Univ Neurology Residency Program

Internship

  • General Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine - GME

Degree

  • MD, Yale University School of Medicine

My expertise

  • Specialties
  • Conditions
    • Hearing Loss (Profound)
    • Pulsatile Tinnitus
    • Glomus Jugulare Tumor
    • Malignant Glomus Tumor
    • Hearing Loss (Noise Induced)
    • Acoustic Neurofibromatosis
    • Ramsay Hunt Syndrome
    • Otomastoiditis
    • Malignant Otitis Externa
  • Treatments
    • Cochlear Implant Hearing Aid Assessment
    • Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid Assessment
    • Rotary Chair Testing
    • Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (VEMP) Testing
    • Endoscopic Ear Surgery
    • Endoscopic Tympanoplasty
    • Balloon Eustachian Tuboplasty
    • Electronystagmography
    • Hearing Aids

Locations

    Reviews

    Average rating

    5
    5 out of 5 Stars
    186 ratings
    About provider reviews

    Showing 1-6 of 57 reviews

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    • 5 out of 5 Stars
      February 21, 2026

      Dr. Limb was exceptional. Exhibited genuine concern and I did not feel at all rushed. A consummate medical professional

    • 5 out of 5 Stars
      February 21, 2026

      I take it that the care provider is the surgeon. He was very involved with me and took his time to explain to issues that I did not know even though I spent time reading about the Cochlear implant. The meeting enabled me to better understand the procedure and made me change my mind about some issues. I feel very comfortable that Dr. Charles Limb will be my surgeon.

    • 5 out of 5 Stars
      February 7, 2026

      Everyone I have dealt with at UCSF has been exceptionally kind and understanding

    • 5 out of 5 Stars
      February 2, 2026

      A++++++Very happy to be under the care of Dr. Limb

    • 5 out of 5 Stars
      January 31, 2026

      Dr. Limb is great. Informative, friendly and cares.

    • 5 out of 5 Stars
      January 26, 2026

      Dr Limb is an outstanding physician and human being! He is a clear communicator, kind, and listens and responds to any and all questions I may have.

    Please check with your health insurance plan regarding coverage for this type of care. Not all providers at UCSF Health are covered by every insurance plan.

    For informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments web page is provided here. The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires that detailed information about payment and other payments of value worth over ten dollars ($10) from manufacturers of drugs, medical devices, and biologics to physicians and teaching hospitals be made available to the public.