Sharique Nazir, MD

I come from a family of doctors. My cousins and uncles practice medicine in India, where I grew up, and my brother is a psychiatrist in the United Kingdom. In India, doctors receive praise and blessings when they help patients recover from an illness. They are revered in the community. I wanted to help others, so I decided to become a doctor.

I find surgery appealing because patients put their trust in me to improve their health and help them feel better. In 2015, I performed two surgeries for a patient who had gunshot wounds to his abdomen. The patient’s mother was so thankful, she arranged for me to throw the first pitch at a Brooklyn Cyclones game. It is satisfying to know that I can save a life or have an impact on someone’s quality of life.

At NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, I use advanced technologies—a robotic platform and laparoscopy—to perform minimally invasive weight loss surgery and repair complex hernias, including inguinal, ventral, incisional, and hiatal hernias. I also manage gallbladder disease and appendicitis. Robotic surgery allows for an improved cosmetic result, less postoperative pain, a faster return to work, and a better quality of life.

I spend time educating patients about their medical condition, and then I explain what I can do to help treat it. If a person needs surgery, for instance, I explain what the recovery will be like. It is rewarding to see patients smiling at their follow-up appointments because they feel better.

I have performed surgery for many New York City police officers and serve as an honorary police surgeon for the New York City Police Department and New York State Police. I am a vice president of the International College of Surgeons, United States Section, and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and International College of Surgeons.