Brian Tuai MD Appointed as Medical Director of Robotic Surgery

In this new role, Dr. Tuai will provide leadership to surgeons and guide the robotic surgery program's growth and development to better serve the needs of patients. Dr. Tuai will continue full time in his medical practice while taking on the medical director responsibilities.

“Dr. Tuai is a leader in the robotic surgery community, and we are pleased to have him leading this advanced program,” said Darren Lee, president and CEO of St. John’s Regional Medical Center and St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital. “His talents, experience, and passion will ensure even greater success of this program, and further enhance the patient experience.”

The robotic assisted surgery program at St. John's Regional Medical Center was established in January 2012 following the acquisition of the da Vinci® Si Surgical System. This technology provides our surgeons with unmatched precision that enables a minimally invasive approach for many complex procedures.

Benefits of robotic assisted surgery may include faster recovery, shorter hospital stays, less blood loss, less pain, less risk of infection, smaller incisions with less scarring, and a quicker return to daily activities. Procedures performed with the da Vinci® include but are not limited to colectomy, prostatectomy, hysterectomy, cholecystectomy, rectopexy and mitral valve repair.

“I am honored for the opportunity to help shape the future of robotic surgery in our community,” said Dr. Tuai. “I look forward to working with the exceptional team of skilled surgeons.”

Dr. Tuai has extensive experience with advanced laparoscopic and minimally invasive techniques; he has been performing robotic procedures since 2013. In this specialized field, Dr. Tuai possesses expertise in laparoscopic open colon resections, inguinal and ventral hernia repairs and anti-reflux surgery.

Dr. Tuai earned his medical degree from Ohio State University, College of Medicine. He then completed his general surgery residency at the University of California, San Francisco-Fresno, where he spent a year as a clinical instructor in the Department of Surgery. He completed robotic surgery training in 2013 and in 2014 became a robotic surgery proctor. As a proctor, Dr. Tuai travels to other hospitals to help train general surgeons on the use of robotic surgery instruments. Additionally, surgeons come to St. John’s to observe his work.

Dr. Tuai assumed his new role in May of 2015.