Fellowship-trained colorectal and general surgeon providing compassionate, evidence-based care with a focus on clear communication, shared decision-making, and advanced minimally invasive and robotic surgery.
Surgery is rarely straightforward — not just technically, but in how it fits into a person's life. A diagnosis can be frightening, and the decision about whether and how to proceed with an operation should never feel like something that happens to you.
Mr Nguyen is a committed advocate of shared decision-making. That means taking the time to explain what is happening in your body, what the realistic options are — surgical and non-surgical — and what the evidence shows about each of them. It means listening carefully to what matters most to you: your work, your recovery timeline, your concerns about risk, your family circumstances.
The goal of every consultation is for you to leave with a clear understanding of your diagnosis and a treatment plan you feel genuinely informed about and comfortable with — not simply a plan you have consented to. In practice, that often means longer appointments, plain-language explanations, and a willingness to revisit the decision if your circumstances or thinking change.
"I see my role as guiding patients through their surgical journey, not directing it. The best outcomes — clinical and personal — come when patients are genuinely part of the decisions being made about their care."
Mr Ba Nguyen is a Specialist Colorectal and General Surgeon based in Melbourne, with consulting rooms in Heidelberg.
He received his medical degree from the University of Melbourne in 2003 and completed Basic Surgical Training at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. He then returned to Melbourne to complete Advanced Surgical Training at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and was awarded Fellowship in General Surgery by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2012.
Mr Nguyen also completed a Master of Surgery (Surgical Sciences) through the University of Sydney in 2012, before being appointed to Westmead Hospital in Sydney as Staff Specialist Surgeon and Clinical Superintendent in Surgery in 2013. He then undertook two further years of post-fellowship colorectal training through CSSANZ, before returning to Melbourne in 2016.
Since 2016, Mr Nguyen has served as Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at Austin Health, where he also holds the position of Director of the Colorectal Surgery Training Program. He holds Visiting Medical Officer (VMO) appointments at Warringal Private Hospital and Epworth Eastern Hospital, providing specialist colorectal and general surgical care across both public and private settings.
Outside of work, Ba spends most of his time with his wife and three young boys — a reliably humbling contrast to surgical life. He is a committed marathon runner, though he is the first to acknowledge that his finishing times reflect a closer relationship with perseverance than pace. He also enjoys travel, typically negotiated around theatre lists and school holidays.
Away from sport and family, he also paints. The large-scale geometric work hanging in the consulting rooms is his own.
If you'd like to make an appointment, we'd be glad to help.
Most patients are seen within 1–2 weeks. A GP referral is required.
