Dr. Carrau will work with Amin Kassam, MD, Medical Director of the Neuroscience Institute, and Daniel Kelly, MD, Medical Director of the highly regarded Saint John’s Brain Tumor Center, to help further the development of these international minimally invasive neurosurgery centers, and provide neuro-oncology, neuro-vascular surgery and other neuroscience services.

“We are excited to have Dr. Carrau join our team here at Saint John’s,” Dr. Kassam said. “His outstanding talents and expertise will contribute to the reputation Dr. Kelly and I have helped Saint John’s and John Wayne develop as institutes of groundbreaking research and state-of-the-art care.”

Dr. Carrau is well known for using an endonasal endoscopic approach (EEA) for the sella turcica. Dr. Carrau worked with Dr. Kassam and other members of the skull base surgery team while at UPMC to refine the EEA into a reproducible and reliable model that could be taught, adopted and modified to fit the circumstances of patients and surgeons throughout the world. Dr. Carrau has also been instrumental in the development of various reconstructive vascularized flaps that have made the procedure safer, and helped promote acceptance of these techniques. He will complement the Saint John’s services and provide expertise in head and neck oncologic surgery, salivary gland disorders, swallowing disorders and endoscopic sinus surgery. 

Prior to his arrival at Saint John’s, Dr. Carrau served as UPMC’s Director of Maxillofacial Trauma Services for the Department of Otolaryngology, Medical Director of the Swallowing Disorders Center and as a professor of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery. 

During his 18 years practicing at UPMC, Dr. Carrau developed a national and international reputation as a top otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon. Among others, he has received accolades from the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (Honor Award, 2001), the American Head and Neck Society (Presidential Citation, 2004) and UPMC (Award for Clinical Excellence 2005). His expertise has been recognized by his peers, who catapulted him to listings in Top Doctors in America, America’s Top Doctors for Cancer, Top Doctors in Pittsburgh, Best of the U.S. Physicians and the honor edition of Who is Who Registry.

“Having someone of Dr. Carrau’s expertise join Saint John’s goes far in advancing Dr. Kelly and Dr. Kassam’s legacy of providing breakthrough medicine with inspired healing,” said Lou Lazatin, Chief Executive Officer of Saint John’s and John Wayne Cancer Institute. “We are privileged to have a doctor of Dr. Carrau’s experience assist us in our ongoing efforts to enhance minimally invasive neurosurgery, neuro-oncology and the neurosciences at Saint John’s.” 

Dr. Carrau completed his undergraduate and medical education at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR). He then completed his residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the San Juan Veterans Affairs Health Center and UPR Medical Center.  In 1987, after finishing his postgraduate training, he was commissioned by the US Air Force as an officer in the active reserve medical corps. He obtained certification by the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in 1987, just months after completing his residency. His five years of military service included a sponsored one-year fellowship in head and neck oncologic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, from July of 1989 to June 1990. In July 1992, he started his career at the University of Pittsburgh, joining its faculty as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the university’s Eye and Ear Hospital.

In addition, Dr. Carrau has contributed multiple seminal publications addressing the use of perioperative antibiotics, reconstructive surgeries of the airways, and surgeries of the salivary glands and sialendoscopy.