Procedure Volume Patient Data Patient Conditions Reviews General Payments Back to Top

Home > MO Providers

Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD

Accepting New Patients

(No ratings)

Specializes in: General Surgery and Surgical Oncology (Cancer Surgery)

University of Florida College of Medicine

Professional interests include: hyperparathyroidism, endocrine diseases (hormone disorders), melanoma, and more.

1 Barnes Jewish Hospital Plaza
Saint Louis, MO 63110

(314) 362-2280

Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD is a general surgeon in Saint Louis, MO specializing in general surgery and surgical oncology (cancer surgery). He graduated from University of Florida College of Medicine. Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD is affiliated with Washington University Physicians, BJC HealthCare, Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Office Locations

Unable to locate address.

Address:

1 Barnes Jewish Hospital Plaza
Saint Louis, MO 63110

Address:

4921 Parkview Place Suite 5f
Saint Louis, MO 63110

Some issues Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD can help you with:

Parathyroid Surgery

Parathyroid surgery is a procedure done to identify and remove diseased parathyroid glands. These tiny glands in the neck regulate calcium levels in the body. Occasionally, one or more of the parathyroid glands can become hyperactive, swelling and causing too much calcium to be moved from the bones to the bloodstream. This is called hyperparathyroidism, and it can cause problems including weakness, nervous system disorders, and kidney problems. To treat hyperparathyroidism, overactive parathyroid glands are removed.

One kind of parathyroid surgery is called bilateral neck exploration. The surgeon finds and looks at all of the parathyroid glands on both sides of the neck, visually identifying any that are diseased and removing them. Minimally invasive, or focused, parathyroidectomy is done to remove a single diseased gland. The gland causing problems is identified before surgery using localization techniques such as hormonal or radiology testing. Since in most cases only one gland is causing problems, focused parathyroidectomy is a common alternative to bilateral neck exploration. Both procedures are safe and effective.

In the rare case that all four glands are diseased, the surgeon will either remove three and a half glands and leave one half in place, or all four will be removed and part of one gland will be transplanted into the forearm. This is done to keep calcium levels where they should be.

After surgery, patients will have a bandage on their neck and a sore throat. Patients may only want liquids or very soft food for the first day, and thy may be asked to take calcium supplements for a while until their remaining parathyroid glands begin functioning well again. Recovery is fairly quick, and within a few days patients should be feeling like themselves again.

Thyroid Surgery

Thyroid surgery is a procedure to remove all or part of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the lower neck that regulates the hormones that manage metabolism. Thyroid surgery, also known as thyroidectomy, treats thyroid disorders such as hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), goiters (noncancerous thyroid inflammation), and thyroid cancer. It may also be used to remove thyroid nodules or cysts that have a risk of becoming cancerous.

Both hypothyroidism and goiters are caused by an autoimmune reaction where the body produces antibodies that attack the thyroid cells for unknown reasons. The thyroid reacts by releasing too little or too much T3 and T4 thyroid hormones, impairing thyroid function and causing irregular metabolism. Goiters develop from the autoimmune reaction causing continued antibody damage to the thyroid over time. Thyroid goiters are large, swollen lumps that can be felt near the base of the neck. Obstructive goiters can cause pain, coughing, and abnormal breathing. Hypothyroidism may also be caused by iodine deficiency, as iodine is needed to produce thyroid hormones.

The exact cause of thyroid cancer and thyroid nodules or cysts is unknown. While thyroid cancer and thyroid nodules or cysts can occur in individuals with thyroid disorders, they are not associated with a malfunctioning thyroid.

Physicians may prescribe thyroid surgery if blood tests reveal patients' thyroid stimulating hormones (TSA) are outside of the acceptable range, indicating a malfunctioning thyroid. Thyroid biopsies (tissue samples) and tests for thyroid-attacking antibodies are also criteria for surgery.

An ENT or general surgeon performs thyroid surgery. While a patient is placed under anesthesia, the surgeon makes an incision at the center of the neck and removes the thyroid gland. Two alternative methods of thyroid surgery are transoral (incision through the mouth) and endoscopic, where a surgeon operates a video camera for live footage to help guide the removal process.

Thyroid surgery requires minimal aftercare. Most patients recover quickly and resume normal activities within a few days of surgery. However, thyroid surgery patients must take daily synthetic thyroid medication (levothyroxine) for life to replace their removed thyroid.

In The News

“"Half of them wound up having successful breast-conserving therapy," said Dr. John Olson, breast cancer surgery chief at Duke University.”—"Drugs before surgery help women avoid mastectomies", Mercury News, September 2010

doctor visit	21
endocrine surgery	20
neck imaging	15
neck surgery	22
ultrasound (sonogram)	15

**Gender**
Male	17
Female	51

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	49
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	39
From 75 to 84	15
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	56
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	29
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	26
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	18
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	22
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	19
Diabetes	31
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

doctor visit	50
endocrine surgery	57
lobectomy	12
neck imaging	32
neck surgery	32
ultrasound (sonogram)	32

**Gender**
Male	27
Female	73

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	69
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	52
From 75 to 84	25
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	70
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	27
Depression	18
Chronic Kidney Disease	32
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	17
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	0
Diabetes	38
Dementia	0
Cancer	13

doctor visit	35
endocrine surgery	33
neck imaging	22
neck surgery	35
ultrasound (sonogram)	22

**Gender**
Male	44
Female	116

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	118
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	94
From 75 to 84	36
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	74
High Cholesterol	64
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	24
Depression	14
Chronic Kidney Disease	28
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	16
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	0
Diabetes	33
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

doctor visit	26
endocrine surgery	31
neck surgery	33

**Gender**
Male	22
Female	72

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	66
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	52
From 75 to 84	23
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	72
High Cholesterol	65
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	27
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	32
Asthma	24
Osteoperosis	17
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	43
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

doctor visit	32
endocrine surgery	26
neck imaging	40
neck surgery	28
ultrasound (sonogram)	40

**Gender**
Male	36
Female	52

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	61
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	47
From 75 to 84	21
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	36
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	47
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	15
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	23
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	20
Diabetes	45
Dementia	0
Cancer	30

doctor visit	30
endocrine surgery	45
neck imaging	23
neck surgery	47
ultrasound (sonogram)	23

**Gender**
Male	39
Female	58

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	63
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	51
From 75 to 84	25
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	72
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	26
Depression	26
Chronic Kidney Disease	38
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	22
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	19
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	39
Dementia	0
Cancer	15

doctor visit	70
endocrine surgery	52
neck surgery	54

**Gender**
Male	36
Female	82

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	77
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	63
From 75 to 84	33
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	64
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	23
Depression	21
Chronic Kidney Disease	45
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	31
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	18
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	33
Dementia	0
Cancer	18

doctor visit	22
endocrine surgery	34
neck surgery	36

**Gender**
Male	25
Female	68

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	59
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	52
From 75 to 84	23
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	61
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	38
Depression	17
Chronic Kidney Disease	52
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	17
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	0
Diabetes	44
Dementia	0
Cancer	15

doctor visit	95
endocrine surgery	63
neck surgery	65

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD treated as a general surgeon in Saint Louis, MO were endocrine surgery, neck surgery, ultrasound (sonogram) and neck imaging.

doctor visit	45
endocrine surgery	41
lobectomy	12
neck imaging	26
neck surgery	39
ultrasound (sonogram)	26

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD.

**Gender**
Male	24
Female	57

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	0
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	56
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	0
Other	0

**Age**
75 to 84	20
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0
65 to 74	45

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, chronic kidney disease and diabetes.

Hypertension	59
High Cholesterol	51
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	23
Depression	15
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	6
Osteoporosis	14
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	7
Diabetes	30
Atrial Fibrillation	1
Cancer	9
Dementia	0

Education & Training

Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD graduated from University of Florida College of Medicine. He completed residency at Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis. He is certified by the Board Certification: General Surgery/General Surgery and has a state license in Missouri.

Medical School: University of Florida College of Medicine

Residency: Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis

Board Certification: Board Certification: General Surgery/General Surgery

Licensed In: Missouri

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Washington University Physicians

BJC HealthCare

Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL)

Barnes-Jewish Hospital

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD appears to accept the following insurance providers: Aetna US Access, Aetna National Advantage Program, Aetna Elect Choice, Aetna Open Choice PPO, United Healthcare, Aetna Open Access HMO, Aetna, MHBP, Aetna Choice POS II, Humana, Aetna Select, Aetna Elect Choice EPO, Coventry, Cigna, Blue California, Aetna Open Access PPO, Aetna Medicare HMO and Aetna Medicare PPO.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD accepts the following insurance providers:

Aetna US Access

Aetna National Advantage Program

Aetna Elect Choice

Aetna Open Choice PPO

United Healthcare

Aetna Open Access HMO

Aetna

MHBP

Aetna Choice POS II

Humana

Aetna Select

Aetna Elect Choice EPO

Coventry

Cigna

Blue California

Aetna Open Access PPO

Aetna Medicare HMO

Aetna Medicare PPO

Show More

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD does not have any reviews yet, be the first to leave a review of Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD here: Leave a Review

(No ratings)

Leave a Review

General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. John A. Olson Jr., MD, PhD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.	$545 Da Vinci Surgical System $545
Ascendis Pharma Inc	$16 $16

**Types of Payments**
Travel and Lodging	$362
Food and Beverage	$199

Biography

Dr. John Olson is a general surgery and surgical oncology (cancer surgery) specialist in Saint Louis, MO. His clinical interests include breast cancer surgery, hyperparathyroidism, and breast issues. Dr. Olson graduated from the University of Florida College of Medicine. His hospital/clinic affiliations include Washington University Physicians and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.