St. John’s Regional Medical Center’s Medical Director of Robotic Surgery to Perform 500th Robotic Assisted Procedure

Dignity Health St. John's Regional Medical Center's (SJRMC) Medical Director of Robotic Surgery, Brian Tuai, MD will perform his 500th robotic assisted surgery at SJRMC on Friday, May 5th. Dr. Tuai will be the first general surgeon, spanning from Thousand Oaks to San Luis Obispo, to reach this milestone.

Dr. Tuai is a board certified general surgeon with extensive experience in advanced laparoscopic and minimally invasive techniques; he has been performing robotic procedures since 2013.

The robotic assisted surgery program at SJRMC was established in January 2012 following the acquisition of the da Vinci® Si Surgical System. The da Vinci serves as an extension of the surgeon’s hands. It allows physicians to have greater precision, increased range of motion and enhanced visualization. As a result of this precision, patients experience shorter hospital stays, less risk of infection, lower blood loss, less scarring, reduced side effects and a faster return to normal daily activities.

Currently, at SJRMC the robot is used for general surgery cases such gallbladder removal, colon resection and hernia repair, as well as cardiothoracic, urologic and gynecologic procedures. Click here for additional information about robotic surgery. 

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