NYU Langone Long Island Surgical Associates Bariatric Center

I was and still am very impressed with Dr. Brathwaite. He's a wonderful surgeon!

I enjoy the support group that is run by his NursePractitioner.


staff is very efficient.

Dr. Brathwaite is a very caring person who will answer all your questions and not rush you through an appointment.

After care is referred to a nutritionist and the support group

He does go over the risks when you first meet with him.

Overall...he's GREAT!!!

Surgical competence is most important, but of course a good beside manner is very comforting.

I was immediately impressed with Dr. Brathwaite's professional, caring manner. He has remained unchanged in his demeanor over time. He has had a slight disruption in his office staff, and it has been chaotic. He moved his office recently, and there are still some changes to be smoothed out. The only thing I disliked about this surgeon is that he is very busy, and sometimes the wait to see him could run into hours.Despite this,I would highly recommend him, and he's worth the wait. I did not have any problems whatsever after my surgery, and any problems with my insurance company were promptly handled by his office. As I did not have any problems, the aftercare seemed to be too extensive for me. The aftercare consists of periodic visits to see the doctor and the nutritionist to make sure you're on track to get the most benefits from your surgery. The risks were fully addressed with me to the point of being really redundant! If 10 were the highest rating, I would rate Dr. Brathwaite a 20!I believe surgical competence and a great bedside manner are very important, and Dr. Brathwaite rates high in both. The only negative part of the surgery was the hospital experience. I had more IV's coming out of me than I could count, and everytime something had to be done, a nurse had to request it, a doctor had to sign for it, and a nurse had to be available to perform it. It could take a day to do a simple thing such as remove an IV that wasn't being used. Needless to say, I did it myself!!! And the most annoying thing was that the main IV was stitched into my neck, making it very annoying to get around. In addition, while it was very nice that I was provided with a private room, the shower was so small that it was virtually inaccessible to me. Luckily I was only in the hospital for four days and able to go home and use my own shower. So the only negative aspect of the surgery was the hospital itself.

Dr. Brathwaite is a wonderful man. He is professional and caring at the same time. I started to see him at Stony Brook but he recently moved his practice to Smithtown. He works out of St.Catherine's now and it was a very nice hospital. He is starting the Bariatric program there so it still is not fine tuned. His office number is 631-265-7000. He has been doing this surgery for 20 years and he is thorough in his pre op testing as well as his follow up. i have only one big complaint at this point. It is very difficult to get through to his office. It is either busy or the service answers.I understand that he is in transition but he needs to hire more staff to answer the phones at this point it just seems very unprofessional. This being said, I still feel he is the best man for the job.

I was recommended to Dr. Brathwaite by my obgyn. After putting off making the call for 1 or 2 months, I finally scheduled. I had to wait almost a whole month to be seen. In the meantime, I did a lot of research and started to get very excited. I felt like this waiting was just slowing me down.
I finally got my appointment and immediately loved my surgeon. (Although I will say that initially I was getting annoyed because I had to wait in the office so long.)
He works along side his wife and she is amazing as well. Currently his office is difficult to reach. Often times when I would call with a minor question the phone lines would be busy or the service would answer. (However they are moving into a new office this week, with even more staff.)
The doctor required attendance at an education meeting with my “support person”, and for my "support person" to be present at for at least one appointment. I fulfilled all my pre surgical requirements within one week; blood work, gallstones ultrasound, nutrition consult, psychiatric evaluation, except my endoscopy consults. I had to wait a month to even see the doctor and then the procedure took place the following week.
Following my surgery I am expected to continue to see Dr. Brathwaite a lot in the beginning but eventually annually. I was advised of all risks. I was sent home with an extensive packet to read and take a quiz on. I also had a similar packet I had to sign off on and return. He also holds monthly support groups at the hospital where my surgery was performed.
What I liked most about Dr Brathwaite – what earned my respect for him, was what he said at our first meeting. I asked him a number of questions, one of which was, “How many surgeries have you personally performed completely?” He responded with an impressive number which certainly satisfied me. Then I asked, “And how many have you lost?” He answered honestly and seriously, “I lost one,” and then went on to explain (not excuse) that it was after the fact, not directly related to the surgery, prior health issue…. But what got me was that he said, “One,” not “Only one.” That One mattered to him.
I strongly recommend Dr. Brathwaite. His bedside manner is terrific but he is not distractible and stays focused and on task. He is a true professional.

To be VERY clear, the following is my personal opinion, I have had these actual experiences during the times I had met Dr. Brathwaite!

What was your first impression of him?
Very informed and experienced, kind and willing to answer every single question asked.

How did your impression change over time?
I have only met with Dr. Brathwaite twice, so far, all is well.

How would you describe his/her office staff?
Of all the phone calls I made to various doctors, Barbara was definately the nicest and most willing to talk on the phone for my various questions!

What did you like least about him/her?
I really don't have any complaints except for how busy his office can be, but it's really o.k by me.

What should future patients know about him?
To go into his office confident you will have ALL your questions asked, with patience and caring! nBarbara even went so far as to call me from home after normal business hours!!!

How much does he/she emphasize aftercare?
He explained in detail the main things I will have to change for the rest of my life, like taking supplememnts and eating the right foods like protiens, as well as very low sugary & fatty foods.

Does he/she have a structured aftercare program?
Yes, the required visits will be explained in better detail after the surgery.

How did he/she address the risks of surgery?
He didn't sugar coat it, he told it like it is, there are risks, if you are not prepared to hear the blatent truth, don't have this surgery!

How would you rate him/her overall?
So far, he's perfect!

Which is better, surgical competence, bedside manner, or both?
Of course...BOTH!

Doctor Brathwaite is a kind and skillful surgeon. He takes his time when he sees you. I have never had him try to rush me on office visits and postop. He will answer your questions. His office staff is always there to answer your questions. The only problem I have is the office hours. He sees office patients after 1pm. He makes sure that you know what foods to eat at each stage. I think that a doctor that can be skillful and also treat all patients with respect, is a true surgeon.

DR. BRATHWAITE IS A VERY QUIET, COMPASSIONATE DOCTOR WITH AN EXCELLENT BEDSIDE MANNER. THE OFFICE STAFF WAS PLEASANT, HELPFUL AND ATTENTIVE TO MY NEEDS AND QUESTIONS.
I ATTENDED A CLASS TO LEARN ABOUT THE SURGERY AND WAS GIVEN MATERIALS TO TAKE HOME AND LOOK OVER BEFORE MY FIRST APPOINTMENT WITH THE SURGEON. I ALWAYS HAD ALL MY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ANSWERED, AND SO DID MY HUSBAND. THEY WANTED TO MEET HIM BEFORE THE SURGERY AND TALK TO BOTH OF US ABOUT THE RISKS AND BENEFITS OF WLS. MY HUSBAND WAS DEFINITELY IMPRESSED BY DR. BRATHWAITE AND ALSO BY THE NURSE-PRACTITIONER, BARBARA SMITH, WHO IS A CARING, DEDICATED AND WONDERFUL PERSON. I HAD NUMEROUS TESTS AND APPOINTMENTS BEFORE THEY WOULD EVEN APPLY TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THIS TOOK SOME MONTHS. I ALSO HAD TO HAVE A PSYCHOLOGICAL WORKUP TO MAKE SURE I WAS DOING THIS FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. THAT I WANTED THIS FOR MYSELF AND FOR MY HEALTH, AND NOT TO PLEASE SOMEONE ELSE.
I AM NOW POST-OP 3 MONTHS AND HAVE SEEN THE DOCTORS QUITE A FEW TIMES AND ALSO THE NURTITIONIST SINCE THE OPERATION. I ALSO HAD TO SEE THE NUTRITIONIST BEFORE HAND. SINCE I HAD A HEART MURMUR, I HAD TO SEE A CARDIOLOGIST TO GET A SONOGRAM OF THE HEART AND A NUCLEAR STRESS TEST. DR. BRATHWAITE WAS VERY CAREFUL TO GET ALL MY HEALTH CONCERNS TAKEN CARE OF AHEAD OF TIME. I AM GETTING BLOODWORK DONE AND HAVE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT TO SEE HIM IN MID-JUNE.
I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE CARE AND GUIDANCE I HAVE BEEN GIVEN AND RECOMMEND THEIR PROGRAM HIGHLY.
I WAS NERVOUS ON THE DAY OF MY SURGERY, AND BARBARA SMITH, THE NURSE-PRACTITIONER, AND DR. BRATHWAITE BOTH CAME AND SPENT SOME TIME WITH ME BEFOREHAND. WE SPOKE OF THE SURGERY AND ALSO OF OTHER THINGS SO THAT I WOULD REMAIN CALM AND RELAXED. I HOPE THEY KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATED THAT. BARBARA SMITH WAS ALSO IN THE OPERATING ROOM AND SHE ALSO CAME TO SEE ME AFTERWARD, AS DID THE NUTRITIONIST, MEREDITH RADISCH, BEFORE I WAS DISCHARGED. I AM VERY PLEASED WITH BOTH THE BEFORE AND AFTERCARE I RECEIVE.
THERE IS ALSO A SUPPORT GROUP ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM THAT MEETS ON THE FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH TO ADDRESS ALL OF OUR ONGOING CONCERNS, ETC. AND GIVE US A CHANCE TO CHEER FOR EACH OTHER'S MILESTONES, AND COMFORT EACH OTHER IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS.
I AM THANKFUL EVERY DAY THAT I CHOSE TO GO TO DR. BRATHWAITE. ALSO, DR. AHMAD, HIS ASSOCIATE DOES THE LAP PROCEDURES. HE IS A VERY CARING AND WONDERFUL PERSON ALSO. I HAVE NOT HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE AT ALL THE WHOLE TIME I HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM.
THE ONLY NEGATIVE THING I CAN SAY IS THAT FROM THE TIME I TOOK THE CLASS AT THE OUTSET UNTIL THE TIME I GOT TO SEE THE SURGEONS WAS APPROXIMATELY 3-1/2 MONTHS. THAT WAS A BIG DRAWBACK, AS MY MINDSET FLUCTUATED FROM "YES" TO "NO" ABOUT THE SURGERY SO MANY TIMES, AND IT GAVE EVERYONE WHO KNEW I WAS RESEARCHING IT TOO MUCH TIME TO LET ME KNOW ALL THE NEGATIVE THINGS. I WISH THEY WOULD BE A LITTLE MORE WILLING TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS AT THE OUTSET IN A SHORTER AMOUNT OF TIME. 3-1/2 MONTHS WAS TOO LONG TO WAIT.HOWEVER, IT COULD HAVE JUST BEEN THAT TIME, I AM NOT SURE HOW OTHER PATIENTS AFTER THAT FARED AS FAR AS TIME WAS CONCERNED.

Dr. Brathwaite is a very quiet and caring man. He is gentle and soft spoken and a terrific surgeon!!!!! So far everyone is wonderful, helpful, and extremely knowledgable. His N.P. Barbara is a wonderful person, she has been a pleasure to deal with, presurgery and post surgery.

The emphasis on aftercare is very important, walk walk walk, drink drink drink.....

The risks of surgery were explained explicitly to me and my husband.

I would recommend Dr. Brathwaite and his staff as excellent!!!! I don't think they come any better!!!!

I had an appointment on april 26, 2002 and when I was brought in the examining room I met the nurse practitioner Barbara Smith she was very nice and She went over my medical history with me and told me i would be meeting with the Dr. and he would go over the surgery with me. I waited for a few minutes and a Dr. walked in but it was not Dr. Brathwaite it was Dr. Ahmad. He was very nice also and he went over the surgery with me and explained exactly what they would be doing and asked me if I had any questions or concerns. Dr. Ahmad answered the questions that I had and I felt satisfied with his answers. He then told me that I would have to go through a bunch of testing before the surgery and that Mrs. smith would set that all up for me. Mrs. Smith gave me all the information I needed and set me up with the specialist that I need to see and gave me a follow up appointment for june 14th. I found the office staff to be very nice and caring and I really felt comfortable with them which was very important to me.

You only meet with Dr Braithwaite once and go thru the lovely Nurse practioner Barbara for the follow up appointments. Due to some vactioners at the office and my insurance it did take awhile to get approval but it was summer. I have had a very good experience with all involved in wls and recovery. Even my hospital stay was very good. I highly recommend him to anyone searching for a new life outside your heavy body.