About Dr. Akuezunkpa O. Ude

Dr. Akuezunkpa O. Ude Welcome, MD, is a general surgeon who specializes in Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery. She is currently the Chief of Surgery at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, Surgical Director for Perioperative Services, and an Associate Professor of Surgery at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Dr. Ude Welcome received her MD degree from the University of Pennsylvania, completed her General Surgery Residency Training at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and completed her Fellowship Training in Bariatric Surgery at the NY-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery.

Dr. Ude Welcome’s clinical interests are in the surgical treatment of Severe Obesity and other Obesity-Related Disorders such as: diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and osteoarthritis. Dr. Ude Welcome utilizes robotic-assisted surgery techniques and laparoscopic surgery techniques for bariatric surgery, including Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass, Sleeve Gastrectomy, and Revisional Bariatric Surgery. The benefits of these Minimally Invasive Approaches are: less postoperative pain, lower postoperative complication rates, and faster recovery times.

Dr. Ude Welcome believes that the patient-centered approach to care incorporates more than just surgical treatment. The Patient-Centered Approach combines the surgical component with the unique lifestyle considerations of each patient, as well as post-operative follow-up, to ensure long-term success. She is also actively engaged in research aimed at improving outcomes for patients who undergo bariatric surgery, as well as advancing the field of Bariatric Surgery and providing educational healthcare equity and future surgeon development.

Education

Medical School
– University of Pennsylvania (1998)

Residency
– New York Presbyterian Hospital, Surgery (1998-2004)

Fellowship
– New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, Advanced GI Minimally Invasive Surgery (2004-2005)

Certifications

– American Board of Surgery, Surgery
– NY State Medical License (2000-2027)
– NJ State Medical License (2006-2011)

Memberships

– American College of Surgeons
– American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
– Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons

Practice Locations

550 First Avenue NBV 15N1, New York, NY