Joel Dean, MD

Dr. Dean is colorectal surgeon who specializes in robotic surgery for lower gastrointestinal conditions both benign and malignant. When entering fellowship, he was very skeptical of the benefits of Robotic surgery but his experience has made him a believer. His journey into colorectal surgery has literally traversed the globe. He grew up in the United Kingdom and moved home to the United States for his undergraduate education. He then spent a year in Myanmar teaching English before entering medical school at Washington University in St. Louis, graduating in 2004. He completed a categorical General Surgery internship at St. Barnabas in New Jersey, and then decided to leave medical training to fulfill a military service obligation. He served almost 4 years as an Army Battalion Surgeon with the 173rd Airborne Infantry, including 2 combat tours in Afghanistan. Upon returning to the States, he re-entered surgical education, completing his General Surgery residency at Virginia Mason in Seattle. After residency he worked as a general surgeon in WA for 3 years. During this time, he gained an increasing appreciation for the breadth and complexity of the field of colorectal surgery prompting him to pursue further training. After completing Colorectal Surgery Fellowship he returned to WA for 6 years where he performed over 600 complex robotic cases before deciding to head to sunnier weather. When not working, Dr. Dean loves spending time with his wife and 3 kids, wood working, gardening, and rock climbing. “I consider every patient a privilege to care for and always try to offer the what I would want for my family and for myself. ” ~ Joel Dean, MD