VisionMed adds three surgical leaders to advisory board

VisionMed has named three international specialists in robotic surgery, advanced endoscopy and colorectal surgery to its Medical Advisory Board as it develops the EMMA video intelligence platform. The appointments are meant to strengthen clinical validation, workflow design and physician education across procedural medicine.

Why it matters: - VisionMed is leaning on outside clinical expertise as it develops EMMA, its AI platform for procedural medicine. - The appointments add experience in robotic surgery, advanced endoscopy, bariatric and metabolic intervention, colorectal surgery, clinical research and physician training. - VisionMed wants EMMA to support structured documentation, workflow intelligence and procedural insights in clinical settings.

What happened: - VisionMed announced the appointment of three physicians to its Medical Advisory Board: Manoel Galvão Neto, MD, MSc, FASGE, IFASMBS; Sharique Nazir, MD, FACS, FICS, FASMBS; and Cesar Santiago, MD, FACS, FASCRS. - The company said the three doctors are internationally recognized leaders in robotic surgery, advanced endoscopy, bariatric and metabolic intervention, colorectal surgery and procedural education. - VisionMed made the announcement on Aug. 18, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. - VisionMed is the developer of EMMA, a video intelligence platform for procedural medicine.

The details: - Manoel Galvão Neto is Director of Research at the Orlando Health Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Institute and Scientific Director of IRCAD India. - Galvão Neto is known for work in bariatric and metabolic endoscopy and helped establish endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty as a minimally invasive treatment option. - Galvão Neto’s background includes endoscopic suturing, metabolic intervention, clinical research, physician education and evaluation of emerging medical technologies. - Sharique Nazir is Director of Bariatric and Robotic Surgery at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem and is a faculty member associated with Columbia University Irving Medical Center. - Nazir is a board-certified bariatric, robotic and laparoscopic surgeon with experience in metabolic surgery, complex abdominal procedures, hernia repair and colorectal surgery. - Nazir also serves as President of the U.S. Section of the International College of Surgeons and has worked on robotic-surgery education, training and adoption. - Cesar Santiago is a board-certified colon and rectal surgeon focused on robotic and minimally invasive treatment of colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticular disease and other complex colorectal conditions. - Santiago has been recognized as an Intuitive Surgical Epicenter physician, meaning surgeons have traveled to observe and learn his robotic techniques. - Santiago previously served as Medical Director of the Center for Advanced Robotic Surgery in Tampa and is a frequent lecturer in robotic colorectal surgery. - VisionMed said the advisory board will guide product development, clinical validation, workflow integration, physician education and the use of artificial intelligence in procedural medicine. - VisionMed said EMMA converts procedural video, audio, images and clinical data into structured documentation, procedural insights, workflow analytics and education and training tools. - The platform is being developed and evaluated across robotic and minimally invasive surgery, GI endoscopy, ophthalmology, interventional cardiology, arthroscopy, neurosurgery and image-guided therapy. - VisionMed also said it plans to announce additional advisory board members in ophthalmology, interventional cardiology, orthopedics, neurosurgery and image-guided therapy separately. - A LinkedIn link included in the release points to VisionMed's company page.

Between the lines: - The board additions signal that VisionMed is trying to build clinical credibility before broader rollout of EMMA. - The mix of surgical, endoscopic and education-focused leaders suggests the company wants input on both product design and how physicians would actually use the platform. - VisionMed is positioning EMMA as a procedure-agnostic layer, which could broaden its potential use beyond one specialty.

What's next: - VisionMed said it will continue assembling a multidisciplinary advisory board across procedural medicine. - The company expects to name more advisors in other specialties separately. - VisionMed said the board will keep supporting clinical validation as EMMA continues development.