Dr. Christy Chai is a board-certified surgical oncologist and tenured Associate Professor of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. She serves as Chief of General Surgery & Surgical Oncology and Deputy Executive of the Operative Care Line at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston. Dr. Chai is a nationally recognized leader in robotic surgery, with particular expertise in advanced minimally invasive and robotic approaches for complex general and oncologic procedures. She has built and led comprehensive robotic surgery programs, developed structured robotic training and credentialing pathways, and actively mentors trainees and faculty in robotic technique and education. Her work spans clinical excellence, surgical education, and health system innovation, and she is deeply engaged in national surgical societies and leadership initiatives. Dr. Chai is passionate about advancing safe, effective, and equitable adoption of robotic surgery through thoughtful integration of technology, data, and team-based care.
Selected publications from PubMed
Qualitative perspectives of early surgeon users on the value of the daVinci 5 surgical system.
Erstad DJ, Fazal ZA, Draulis K, Zheng F, Jackson G, Chai CY
J Robot Surg. 2026 May 21;20(1) doi: 10.1007/s11701-026-03366-w.
Robotic Rectus Abdominis Harvest for Pelvic Reconstruction after Abdominoperineal Resection.
Appel R, Shih L, Gimenez A, Bay C, Chai CY, Maricevich M
Semin Plast Surg. 2023 Aug;37(3):188-192 doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1771236.
Robotic port-site hernias after general surgical procedures.
Diez-Barroso R Jr, Palacio CH, Martinez JA, Makris K, Massarweh NN, Chai CY, Awad SS, Tran Cao HS
J Surg Res. 2018 Oct;230:7-12 doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2018.04.032.
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