The Department of Otolaryngology at Washington University School of Medicine, headed by Richard Chole, M.D.
has a 60-year history of leadership in the treatment of otolaryngology
(ear, nose and throat) problems in both adults and children. This
includes problems with the ear; nose and sinus; throat and neck; voice
(larynx); face, jaw and mouth; and other conditions listed below. APPOINTMENTS for adults: 314-362-7509 or 1-800-437-5430
APPOINTMENTS for children: 314-454-6162
Click on office locations for a list of convenient Otolaryngology offices.
Clinical care is provided by 20 board-certified physicians, most of
whom are recognized as experts in their field of interest. These
clinicians include specialists in pediatric otolaryngology, otologists,
head and neck surgeons, a facial cosmetic surgeon, general
otolaryngologists and a maxillofacial prosthodontist.
Departmental physicians treat all conditions associated with the
ear, nose and throat. They may be most well-known, however, for their
treatment and research in the following areas:
Acoustic neuroma
Audiology (hearing testing)
Cancer - Head and Neck Cancer Center
Children's airway problems
Cholesteatoma
Chronic ear infection
Cochlear Implants Center
Cosmetic surgery
Deafness
Facial paralysis including Bell's Palsy
Hearing aids
Hearing loss in children
LAUP (laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty)Maxillofacial prostetics (prostheses)
Ménière's disease
Nasal obstruction surgery
Otosclerosis
Sinus disease - allergies and chronic sinusitis
Snoring and sleep apnea
Swallowing and voice disorders
Vertigo
Clinicians with the Department of Otolaryngology hold joint
appointments with both Washington University Medical School and the BJC
network of hospitals (including Barnes-Jewish and Children's hospitals)
in St. Louis. Our Department was ranked third in the USA in terms of
NIH grant support for research and fifth with regard to clinical
otolaryngology services.
Regional/National Referrals
We treat many patients
from outside the region and outside United States. For North American
referrals, physicians may call the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Doctors Access Line at 800-252-DOCS (3627).
Patients in the continental United States may refer to Family and Guest Services for assistance with lodging.
International Referrals
Physicians
and patients from countries outside of the United States may view a
complete list of our Centers of Excellence available for International Healthcare Referrals or physicians may contact us by email,
with a short summary of the patient's diagnosis and your initial
treatment plan. We will forward this summary to the right department
for review and follow-up. Although English is preferred, you may email
in your own language.
Clinical Research
Clinical research plays an important
role in the innovative treatments and therapeutic devices developed by
members of the Department of Otolaryngology. Included in these
innovations are: the development of free tissue transfers to
reconstruct structures of the head and neck removed during cancer
surgery; the restoration of hearing through reconstruction of the
mid-ear with transplanted cartilage; pioneering endoscopic techniques
for sinus surgery in children; the development of a new antibacterial
ventilation tube for children; and the use of latex to reconstruct
severely damaged facial structures.