Grand Rounds Speaker | Dr. Collin E.M. Brathwaite

May 1, 2025

The SUNY Downstate Department of Surgery was privileged to host Dr. Colin E.M. Brathwaite, MD, Professor of Surgery at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine and Professor of Foundations of Medicine at NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine. Dr. Brathwaite is an accomplished bariatric and general surgeon at NYU Langone Health. He pioneered the integration of robotic surgery into the NYU general and bariatric surgery programs. Dr. Brathwaite was one of the first surgeons to perform peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) in the United States. He received his medical degree from Howard University, trained in general surgery residency at Saint Vincents Hospital and Medical Center, and completed a Trauma and Critical Care fellowship at the University of Maryland Medical Center.  

Dr. Brathwaite’s Grand Rounds presentation was entitled “Robotic Surgery and the General Surgeon... Where’s the Beef?” The title - a parody of the Wendy’s slogan promoting the quality of their burgers - was applied to current evidence-based medicine for robotic surgery. Dr. Brathwaite discussed the literature supporting and challenging robotic outcomes compared to other surgical modalities. He described his journey learning robotic surgery and integrating it into the practice at NYU, which required understanding and presenting evidence with critical stakeholders. He concluded his talk with a perspective on the future of surgery, hypothesizing that natural orifice surgery will be the next frontier.