about dr. ronney abaza

Medical Training & Robotic Urology Practice

A native of Toledo, Ohio, Dr. Ronney Abaza earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan. He then attended Northwestern University Medical School before returning to his hometown for residency training in urology at the University of Toledo Medical Center. He began his practice in Toledo and specialized in robotic surgery to expand access to advanced robotic procedures for patients in the area. He was the first in Northwest Ohio to perform robotic kidney cancer surgery, robotic ureteral surgery, robotic urinary diversion and robotic bladder cancer surgery in addition to performing a high volume of robotic prostate cancer surgeries as well.

The practice Dr. Abaza founded continues to lead the Toledo community in robotic surgery.

Dr. Abaza served as the founder and medical director of St. Vincent Hospital’s Laparoscopy, Simulation & Robotics Training Center. As a faculty member at the University of Toledo College of Medicine, Dr. Abaza performed research in surgical techniques, performed kidney transplantation and instructed medical students and residents.

In 2008, Dr. Abaza moved to Central Ohio to lead Robotic Urology and Co-Direct the Center for Advanced Robotic Surgery at the Ohio State University Medical Center and James Cancer Hospital in Columbus and at this time decided to dedicate his practice and career to nothing but robotic surgery. Here he performed more than 400 robotic surgeries annually and pioneered several robotic procedures that had never been performed by any other surgeon. He practiced at OSU until 2013 when Dr. Abaza moved his practice with the goal of focusing all of his professional efforts on his first love, perfecting patient experience and outcomes with robotic surgery. While shifting his academic efforts after leaving OSU, Dr. Abaza continued to track his outcomes for every patient to ensure the highest quality of care and to share his experience with other surgeons through research and publications. Dr. Abaza has published over 150 articles and book chapters about robotic surgery and urologic cancers and has presented his work around the World.

Innovations, Research, and Teaching Robotic Surgery

As one of the world’s foremost authorities on robotic urology, Dr. Abaza has been sought after as a speaker at national and international society meetings, and he has given more than 150 presentations on robotic prostate, kidney and bladder surgery. His work in robotic surgery has been published extensively in medical journals, including articles on several new robotic procedures and techniques performed for the first time ever by Dr. Abaza. Two such techniques were featured on the covers of major urology journals in 2011, including the Journal of Endourology and European Urology. Dr. Abaza's work in robotic surgery has also been featured on the covers of Urology, European Urology Focus and Urologists in Cancer Care.

Dr. Abaza is also passionate about teaching robotic surgical techniques and has been instructing surgeons in multiple fields for several years. He organized and directed the National Urology Resident Preceptorship in Robotic Urologic Surgery, the first-of-its-kind program dedicated to robotic surgery and held annually for residents from around the country over five years. He was director of a robotic urologic surgery fellowship for 10 years, offering one year of additional training in robotic surgery for graduates of urology residency programs. Dr. Abaza is editor of a textbook that is the only published textbook dedicated to robotic kidney surgery.

Dr. Abaza frequently serves as faculty for educational courses both in the U.S. and internationally and as a panelist, moderator or course director for programs at the annual meetings of various national and international medical societies, including the American College of Surgeons and American Urological Association. He also shares his techniques in robotic surgery with other surgeons from around the World by performing live surgery broadcasts to major medical conferences. In 2012, he performed live robotic surgeries for all three of the major conferences for robotic surgeons, including the American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting, the World Congress of Endourology and the European Robotic Urology Symposium of the European Association of Urology. He has also performed live robotic surgery for the International Robotic Urology Symposium, the North American Robotic Urology Symposium, the Society of Robotic Surgery Annual Meeting, for the AUA  Advanced Robotic Urologic Oncology Masterclass, for the Society of Urologic Robotic Surgery/World Robotic Surgery Single-port Webcast, and for the 11th Annual Techno-Urology Meeting in Italy. 

Most recently, Dr. Abaza has been a pioneer in robotic urologic surgery in the Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) environment. He joined Central Ohio Urology Group in 2021 to develop only the third ASC robotic surgery program in the country to perform urologic robotic procedures and has quickly become the most experienced with ASC robotic urology in the country. 

Leadership & Academic Positions:

• 2022-present Education Committee Chair, North Central Section of the American Urological Association
• 2022-present Member, Education Committee, Large Urology Group Practice Association (LUGPA)
• 2022-present Physician Advisor, Mount Carmel Health System Prostate Cancer Program
• 2020 Reviewer, European Urology Oncology
• 2019-present: Ohio representative to the North Central Section of the American Urological Association Board
• 2017-18: Immediate Past-president and board member, Ohio Urological Society
• 2016-17: President, Ohio Urological Society
• 2015-16: President-elect, Ohio Urological Society
• 2014-2015: Secretary, Ohio Urological Society
• 2009-2014: Member at Large, Board of Directors, Ohio Urological Society
• 2014-2018: Chair, OhioHealth System Prostate Cancer Advisory Board
• 2012-2013: Member, Promotion and Tenure Committee, OSU Department of Urology
• 2013-2021: Director of Robotic Surgery, OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital
• 2013-2021: Fellowship Director, Robotic Urologic Surgery Fellowship Program, OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital
• 2014-2021: Clinical Assistant Professor, Ohio University College of Medicine
• 2012-2013: Associate Professor (tenured), Ohio State University College of Medicine
• 2010-2013: Fellowship Director, Robotic Urologic Surgery Fellowship Program, Department of Urology, Ohio State University Medical Center
• 2009-2013: Co-Director, Center for Advanced Robotic Surgery, Ohio State University Medical Center and James Cancer Hospital
• 2008-2013: Director, Robotic Urologic Surgery, Ohio State University Medical Center and James Cancer Hospital
• 2011-2013: Member (Appointed), American Urological Association Urologic Diagnostic and Therapeutic Imaging Committee 
• 2009-2012: Member (Appointed), American College of Surgeons Committee on Emerging Surgical Technology and Education (CESTE), 
• 2009-2011: Disease Committee Leader, Genitourinary Cancers, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center 
• 2008-2012: Assistant Professor, Ohio State University College of Medicine
• 2006-2008: Assistant Professor, University of Toledo College of Medicine
• 2006-2008: Medical Director, Laparoscopy Simulation &  Robotics Training Center, St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Toledo, Ohio
• 2006-2008: Academic Director, Minimally-Invasive Urologic Surgery, St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Toledo, Ohio
• 2006-2008: Director of Medical Student Urology Training, University of Toledo College of Medicine

Journal Editorial Positions

• 2019-present: Associate Editor, Urology Video Journal, Elsevier Publishing
• 2011-2019: Associate Editor, BMC Urology
• 2018: Editorial board, Clinical Oncology and Research Journal
• 2014-present: Editorial board, Journal of Urology and Research
• 2012-present: Member, Editorial Board, Case Reports in Clinical Medicine
• 2011-present: Member, Editorial Board, Andrology-Open Access

Medical Conference Appointments:

• 2021 Organizing Committee and Faculty, North American Robotic Urology Symposium, Kidney Surgery Course (Virtual)
• 2019 Kidney Session Moderator, “4th International Prostate Cancer and Urologic Oncology Symposium,” Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine (New York, NY)
• 2019 Course Faculty, “Dr. Mani Menon Lifetime Achievement Symposium & Gala--The Past and Future of Urology: A Tribute to Innovation” (Dearborn, MI)
• 2019 Organizing Committee and Faculty, 3rd Annual North American Robotic Urology Symposium (Las Vegas, NV)2019: Moderator, Prostate and Bladder Update, Society of Urologic Robotic Surgeons, World Congress of Endourology (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
• 2019: Moderator, live surgery session, 3rd Annual North American Robotic Urology Symposium (Las Vegas, NV)
• 2016: Plenary panelist, American Urological Association Annual Meeting “Lower Tract Complications: Prostatectomy, Cystectomy, Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection” (San Diego, CA)
• 2013: Adrenal Surgery Plenary, panel member, American Urological Association Annual Meeting (San Diego, CA)
• 2013: Prostate Cancer Panel member, Ohio Urological Society Annual Meeting
• 2012: Panelist, “Challenging and Controversial Cases in Renal Cancer,” Annual Meeting of the North Central Section of the American Urological Association
• 2012: Moderator, Urological surgery video session, American College of Surgeons 98th Annual Clinical Congress (Chicago, IL)
• 2011: Moderator, Scientific Session II, Asia Robotic Urology Symposium (Jeju, Korea)
• 2011: Moderator, Prostate Cancer Session, Annual Meeting of the North Central Section of the American Urological Association (Palm Springs,  CA)
• 2011: Discussant, Robotics/Laparoscopy Session, Annual Meeting of the North Central Section of the American Urological Association (Palm Springs, CA)
• 2010: Co-Moderator, Robotic Surgery Panel Session, American College of Surgeons Annual Meeting 
• 2010: Discussant, Robotic Urology Session, American College of Surgeons Annual Meeting (Washington, DC)
• 2010: Discussant, Kidney and Ureteral Benign and Malignant Laparoscopy and Robotics Session, American Urological Association North Central Section Annual Meeting (Chicago, IL)
• 2010: Moderator, Robotic Upper Tract Surgery Session, World Congress of Endourology (Chicago, IL)
• 2010: Moderator, Robotic Prostatectomy Live Surgery, World Congress of Endourology (Chicago, IL)
• 2009: Moderator, Prostate Cancer Session, Ohio Urological Society Annual Meeting (Columbus, OH)
• 2008: Moderator, Urology Session, Annual Meeting of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (Chicago, IL)
• 2008: Moderator, Prostate Cancer Session, Annual Meeting of the North Central Section of the American Urological Association (Scottsdale,  AZ)
• 2006: Moderator, Urology Session, Annual Meeting of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (Boston, MA) 

Journal Reviewer:

• 2020: Reviewer, European Urology Oncology
• 2009-present: Reviewer, Journal of Urology 
• 2009-present: Reviewer, Urology 
• 2011-present: Reviewer, BJU International
• 2010-present: Reviewer, European Urology
• 2006-present Reviewer, Journal of Endourology
• 2019: Reviewer, International Journal of Urology
• 2016-present: Reviewer, Journal of Surgical Oncology
• 2012: Ad Hoc Reviewer, World Journal of Urology
• 2012: Reviewer, Therapeutic Advances in Urology
• 2011-present: Reviewer, Journal of Endourology, Part B: Videourology
• 2010: Ad hoc reviewer, Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy & Percutaneous Techniques
• 2010: Ad hoc reviewer, Yonsei Medical Journal
• 2009: Reviewer, World Journal of Surgical Oncology
• 2009: Reviewer, Ibnosina Journal of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
• 2009: Reviewer, Journal of Medical Case Reports
• 2009: Reviewer, Clinical Medicine: Urology