August 07, 2006

Turlock  - General surgeon Huy Dao, D.O., has joined Emanuel Medical Center's medical staff this month and becomes the third physician in Oasis Surgical, prof. corp.  Located at 2161 Colorado Ave., Suite A, Oasis Surgical was started two years ago by general surgeons Katherine Barton, M.D., and her husband, Paul Carmichael, M.D., F.A.C.S.

The artistry of surgery and the reward of helping patients drew Dr. Dao to the specialty.

"I love working with patients and working with my hands," he says. "I've always been a little bit of an artist. I used to paint in high school and college."

Dr. Dao says he is most interested in recent advancements in laparoscopic surgery and their use in the treatment of gastric and intestinal surgery.

"Laparoscopic procedures are made using a small incision, usually on an outpatient basis, and are less invasive than traditional surgery," Dr. Dao says. "As a result, the patient's discomfort is reduced and there is a shorter recovery period. We are finding many new ways to use laparoscopic surgery to successfully treat a variety of conditions."

"At Emanuel, we see laparoscopic surgery employed in many more procedures, all to the benefit of patients," says John Sigsbury, Emanuel's President and CEO. "We are immensely pleased to have Dr. Dao join our medical staff and bring his fine skills to our patients."

During his surgical residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Dao performed over 200 cases of advanced laparoscopic and open gastric surgery.

In Turlock, Dr. Dao will be offering consultations for laparoscopic hernia repair, breast cancer, thyroid, parathyroid, gastrointestinal and colorectal surgeries. He will also perform upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy, tissue biopsy, vasectomy, tummy tuck, arm lifts and excision of benign and malignant lesions.

After graduating with distinction from San Diego State University, Dr. Dao attended medical school and received his Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine in 2001 from Midwestern University in Arizona. In Detroit, he was also a clinical professor in the Department of Osteopathic Surgical Specialties at Michigan State University.

Dr. Dao and his wife have three daughters, aged 17 months to 14 years, and are expecting another child in late December. The family was drawn to the area for many reasons including its proximity to the mountains and the Coast.

"Emanuel Medical Center and Turlock are expanding and I'd like to be part of that growth," he says.

Dr. Dao can be reached at Oasis Surgical at (209) 632-2960.