John Chi, MD

I had surgery with Dr. Chi to fix my deviated septum and I love the results. Quick recovery time, convenient, and very personable. I would definitely come again to Dr. Chi for any of my nasal needs.

Super nice guy and just great at what he does! My scars have improved so fast!

I had a Moh's surgery which left a significant wound in my nose. Dr. John Chi performed my corrective surgery and I was quite pleased with the result. He and his staff were always kind and caring during the course of my care. Thank you Dr. Chi and Barnes Jewish West for my terrific outcome.

I am very happy with the overall outcome for my ENT surgery with Dr. Chi. I had a collapsed septum from an accident and needed an outpatient septorhinoplasty to breathe out of my nose again. Recovery went just as expected and I obtained the desired result within the expected time frame. I honestly couldn’t even tell that I had surgery after the first month post-surgery even though Dr. Chi says this may not happen for up to 6 months after.

The presurgical photos that Dr. Chi takes during the consult include a photoshopped anticipated result that ended up being very accurate. These are a good reference to visually see what you can expect after his repair. As with any surgical procedure there are always associated risks. These were clearly discussed in surgical consultation prior to scheduling surgery. I did have a significant delay from the time of surgical consult to the time of surgery, but this was due to my own schedule and the subsequent pandemic.

At the time of surgery, the perioperative experience went very smoothly with only one minor hiccup. This likely would have been avoided if the surgery hadn’t occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. General anesthesia causes temporary amnesia, as expected, so postoperative discharge instructions were relayed to my significant other via phone instead of in-person. Social distancing restrictions limited the ability for my partner to receive the discharge teaching in person which meant we were reliant on the paper discharge instruction I was sent home with.

The PACU nurse did provide adequate discharge teaching regarding postoperative bleeding but failed to discuss with her that I would have significant postoperative nasal congestion. Since more then 6 months had passed from the time of my surgical consult, this small detail regarding nasal congestion had slipped my mind as I was also still recovering from a brain injury. This minor hiccup resulted in me calling the weekend call ENT fellow (MD in training) to confirm if this was expected. Ultimately this would have been avoided with improved discharge instructions.

My pain postoperatively was properly managed with the provided prescriptions. Given that anesthesia and narcotics always slow your bowels down, there should have been an accompanying bowel regimen ordered at the time of discharge as you should expect postoperative constipation after surgery. While I am a healthy young adult without accompanying comorbidities, I would still have benefited from this. Whether this is prescription or over the counter, a bowel regimen should have been a part of the discharge instructions both verbal and paper. I did end up using over the counter laxatives throughout the first week of recovery while I was taking opioids once 48 hours had passed without a bowel movement.

Ultimately, my experience with Dr. Chi exceeded all expectations. The concerns regarding postoperative surgical teaching and a bowel regimen are reliant on the BJC West County PACU amending their discharge instructions. BJC West County did a very good job managing the surgical experience as well as ensuring that everything was kept clean.

Dr. Chi is an amazing doctor and person. He did a repair on my ear after removal of skin cancer. It looks perfect! I am so happy with the results. Ears are very difficult, but he is a master. His office staff are very sweet and helpful. You will be in good hands with Dr. Chi.