Brian W. Su, MD

Dr. Brian Su is a Board-Certified Spine Surgeon and co-medical director of spine surgery at MarinHealth Medical Center. He is also a former Surgeon-in-Chief at California Orthopedics and Spine. Dr. Su received his undergraduate education from Duke University’s School of Engineering and his medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Su completed an orthopedic surgery residency at Columbia University’s NY Presbyterian Hospital, where he served as Administrative Chief Resident and was one of the stadium physicians for the New York Yankees.

Dr. Su then completed an orthopedic and neurosurgical spine surgery fellowship at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, widely regarded as one of the most sought-after and prestigious spine fellowships in the country. His training there included complex surgery of the spine, and during that time, he developed a particular interest in treating disorders of the cervical spine.

Dr. Su has an interest in research and has authored over 50 manuscripts and book chapters, and presented over 120 podium and poster presentations. He is also the author of seven financial grants and the recipient of 40 academic honors and awards. Dr. Su is one of nine international editors of a 2-volume textbook on spine surgery. He is a founding member of the nation’s first undergraduate research journal and was one of the youngest scientists to be a principal investigator on a grant from the National Science Foundation. Dr. Su has peer-reviewed for SPINE, Clinical Spine Surgery, and The Spine Journal. Dr. Su has served on program committees for the Cervical Spine Research Society, North American Spine Society, and California Orthopedic Association. He is currently co-Chair of the membership committee for the Cervical Spine Research Society. He remains active in teaching, clinical research, and device innovation, and collects patient-reported outcomes data for all surgical patients. He participates in question writing for the written board examination and is an oral board examiner for the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery.

Dr. Su believes that state-of-the-art care at academic centers can be delivered in a personalized private practice setting. He educates patients so that they fully understand their disease and treatment options, including the evidence-based medicine behind it. In 2020, he launched The Spine Guy, a patient-education YouTube channel focused on spinal care, which has over 4.5 million views. His emphasis is always toward nonoperative treatment, reserving surgery as the last option. When surgery is necessary, Dr. Su seeks the solution that leaves the most minimally invasive surgical footprint. He has performed over 4,000 spine surgeries and has had the privilege of operating on several physicians, surgeons, and their family members.

Dr. Su was elected by his peers into Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors, San Francisco Magazine Top Doctors, [415] Top Doctors for Spine Surgery, Pacific Sun’s Best Orthopedic Surgeon, and a Sonoma Top Doctor. Vitals.com also awarded him the Patient’s Choice and Compassionate Doctor Award. Dr. Su is the past chairman of the governing body of Marin Specialty Surgery Center. In 2018 he was elected by the residents of Marin County as a Director of the Marin Healthcare District Board of Directors.