VisionMed Adds Three International Leaders in Robotic Surgery and Advanced Endoscopy to Medical Advisory Board

New advisors bring expertise in robotic surgery, advanced endoscopy and colorectal surgery to support the clinical development of VisionMed’s EMMA® platform.

NASHVILLE, TN, UNITED STATES, August 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- VisionMed, developer of the EMMA^® video intelligence platform for procedural medicine, today announced the appointment of three internationally recognized leaders in robotic surgery, advanced endoscopy, bariatric and metabolic intervention, colorectal surgery, and procedural education to its Medical Advisory Board:

Manoel Galvão Neto, MD, MSc, FASGE, IFASMBS
Sharique Nazir, MD, FACS, FICS, FASMBS
Cesar Santiago, MD, FACS, FASCRS

Together, the physicians bring extensive experience in robotic surgery, advanced laparoscopy, bariatric and metabolic surgery, endoluminal intervention, colorectal surgery, clinical research, and physician training.

Their appointments further strengthen the clinical foundation supporting EMMA^®, VisionMed’s procedural AI platform that transforms procedural video and related clinical information into structured documentation, workflow intelligence, and procedural insights.

“Drs. Galvão Neto, Nazir, and Santiago are highly respected leaders who have helped advance minimally invasive procedural care, physician education, and the adoption of innovative surgical technologies,” said David MacLean, CEO of VisionMed. “Their guidance will help ensure EMMA addresses real clinical and workflow needs for physicians, hospitals, and medical-technology partners.”

The announcement represents one specialty-focused group within VisionMed’s broader multidisciplinary Medical Advisory Board. VisionMed is assembling clinical leaders across the spectrum of procedural medicine and expects to announce additional advisors in ophthalmology, interventional cardiology, orthopedics, neurosurgery, image-guided therapy, and other specialties separately.

Medical Advisory Board Appointments

Manoel Galvão Neto, MD, MSc, FASGE, IFASMBS
Dr. Galvão Neto is an internationally recognized pioneer in bariatric and metabolic endoscopy and one of the physicians who helped establish endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty as an important minimally invasive treatment option. He serves as Director of Research at the Orlando Health Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Institute, Scientific Director of IRCAD India, and has played a leading role in developing, evaluating, and teaching advanced endoscopic procedures around the world.

His experience spans endoscopic suturing, metabolic intervention, clinical research, physician education, and the evaluation of emerging medical technologies.

Sharique Nazir, MD, FACS, FICS, FASMBS
Dr. Nazir is Director of Bariatric and Robotic Surgery at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem and a surgical faculty member associated with Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He is a board-certified bariatric, robotic, and laparoscopic surgeon with expertise in metabolic surgery, complex abdominal procedures, hernia repair, and colorectal surgery.

He also serves in senior leadership roles within international surgical organizations, including as President of the U.S. Section of the International College of Surgeons, and has been actively involved in advancing robotic-surgery education, training, and adoption.

Cesar Santiago, MD, FACS, FASCRS
Dr. Santiago is a board-certified colon and rectal surgeon specializing in advanced robotic and minimally invasive treatment of colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticular disease, and other complex colorectal conditions.

He has been recognized as an Intuitive Surgical Epicenter physician, with surgeons traveling to observe and learn his robotic techniques. Dr. Santiago previously served as Medical Director of the Center for Advanced Robotic Surgery in Tampa and is a frequent lecturer and educator in robotic colorectal surgery.

“Each of these physicians brings a distinct but highly complementary perspective,” MacLean added. “They understand how complex procedures are performed, how physicians are trained, how new technologies are integrated into clinical practice, and what evidence is needed to support adoption. That perspective will be invaluable as VisionMed continues to develop and clinically validate EMMA.”

VisionMed’s Medical Advisory Board provides strategic guidance on product development, clinical validation, workflow integration, physician education, and the application of artificial intelligence across procedural medicine.

About VisionMed
VisionMed is developing EMMA^®, the video intelligence layer for procedural medicine. EMMA uses artificial intelligence to transform procedural video, audio, images, and clinical data into structured documentation, procedural insights, workflow analytics, and education and training tools.
The procedure-agnostic platform is being developed and evaluated across robotic and minimally invasive surgery, GI endoscopy, ophthalmology, interventional cardiology, arthroscopy, neurosurgery, image-guided therapy, and other video- and image-enabled procedural specialties.
For more information, visit VisionMed.ai.

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