About Dr. Brutus

Minimally Invasive Hand Surgeon, Founder of Exception MD,
Author, and Philanthropist

Dr. Brutus was born in Belgium and graduated from medical school in Brussels in 1995. He developed a passion for hand surgery and completed his residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery in Brussels before training for a year at the city’s most prestigious private hand surgery center. He then completed a 12 months fellowship in hand and upper extremity surgery at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, as well as a 3 months research fellowship at the Institute for Human Performance, which is housed at the same school. Dr. Brutus is certified by the Belgian Board of Plastic Surgery and is also fully licensed by the Collège des médecins du Québec.

Dr. Brutus moved to Montreal in 2005 when he accepted a position as Adjunct Professor of Plastic Surgery at Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, where he taught and practiced hand surgery until 2010. During that time, he also practiced at Hôpital de la Cité-de-la-Santé in Laval.

A true pioneer in its field

Through his clinical and research work, Dr. Brutus has pioneered the practice of endoscopic hand surgery in Canada. He has performed more endoscopic carpal tunnel releases than any other surgeon in Canada and is the first and only surgeon in Canada to use endoscopic release to treat trigger finger. He is also one of the first surgeons to integrate the WALANT method of anesthesia into his common practice.

Dr. Brutus has published more than 35 papers in peer-reviewed journals as well as several books on common hand pathologies and conditions. He has been invited on numerous occasions to lecture internationally and speaks French, English, Spanish, and Dutch.

Dr. Brutus is frequently featured on TV, on the radio, and in print as a consultant and educator. He is rated as a top hand surgeon in Canada on the RateMDs website.

Secrets and Lies from the Operating Room

For most people, having surgery is a confounding, uncomfortable, and even fearful experience. In Secrets and Lies from the Operating Room, Dr. Jean-Paul Brutus separates fact from fallacy and tells you everything you need to know about the world of surgeons.

  • How often do patients wake up during surgery?
  • What happens if a surgeon has a heart attack during a long surgical procedure?
  • Did surgeons really descend from ancient barbers?
  • Do surgeons and nurses hook up as much as they do on Grey’s Anatomy?
  • Do surgeons are tested for drug use and alcohol consumption?
  • What happens if a surgeon makes a mistake?

In a light-hearted tone, and in Q&A format, Dr. Brutus pulls back the curtain and shares personal and poignant stories, humor, and trivia, as well as tips for both patients and surgeons alike on how to connect with each other—not as the next operation but as fellow human beings.

Some may say that surgeons are just as unemotional or uncaring as robots. But Dr. Brutus—a leading plastic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive hand surgery—challenges that notion and shows the humanity behind the mask.

“In a friendly tone, Dr. Brutus thoroughly reveals all aspects of a surgeon’s life and what readers can expect, whether they are surgeon wannabes or surgical candidates, past or future.”
—Dr. Roy A. Meals, author of Bones: Inside and Out

Order your print or digital copy now on Amazon!

Profits from the sale of the book will be donated to the Welcome Hall Mission, a Montreal-based organization that helps families in need, at-risk mothers and youth, and those experiencing homelessness.

Helping hands

In addition to his medical career, Dr. Brutus is an active philanthropist. Among other initiatives, he compiled and published Tendre la main, a unique photography book that depicts hands as tools for helping others. The proceeds from the sale of the book, who was created with the voluntary contribution of 12 renowned photographers and over 40 Quebec personalities, have been donated to support various mental health initiatives.

Helping hands | Website: http://tendrelamain.org/en

His mission

Dr. Brutus is dedicated to improving Canada’s standard of care, both for hand surgery specifically and for healthcare as a whole.

He believes in treating the patient, not just the hand, and in a personalized and warm approach to patient care.

Throughout his career, Dr. Brutus has touched the lives of thousands of patients from around the world who rely on their hands every day, including entertainers and artists, professional athletes, doctors and dentists, hair stylists, police and military personnel, airline pilots, and flight attendants.

He is persistent, energetic, passionate, and highly dedicated to improving the way care is delivered to patients both in Canada and around the world. He believes there is always a way to improve existing solutions and that no challenge is ever insurmountable.

Dr. Brutus actively supports Welcome Hall Mission, an organization serving Montréal’s most vulnerable for which he has organized numerous fundraising and volunteer recruitment campaigns. Fighting poverty, hunger, and homelessness are issues that are close to his heart.