Dr. Robert M. Cortina is a general and thoracic surgeon whose particular areas of interest includes the multidisciplinary management of breast, lung and esophageal cancer. Since establishing his practice, he has been instrumental in developing southeast North Carolina's first multidisciplinary thoracic oncology clinic. He is also one of the first oncoplastic surgeons in the management of breast cancer in the area.



Dr. Cortina is board certified in both general and cardiothoracic surgery. He received his M.D. from New York Medical College and completed general surgery training at Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1998. During his residency, he was a research fellow in the division of surgical oncology. He has been the principal investigator and co-investigator on several research grants, and has published several abstracts and papers in national medical journals. He has also authored several book chapters related to thoracic surgery.



Following his EVMS training, he spent a year abroad as a registrar in cardiothoracic surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia. Dr. Cortina completed a Cardiothoracic Fellowship at the University of Rochester in 2001 and joined Wilmington Surgical Associates, P.A. in 2001. He is on the board of the New Hanover Regional Medical Society and a delegate to the North Carolina Medical Society as well as a graduate of the North Carolina Medical Society Leadership College.



The professional and scientific societies of which Dr. Cortina is a member include, among others, the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.



Dr. Cortina, like most (if not all) of Dr. Britt's former residents, hold him in the highest regard as a mentor, clinician and friend.

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Dr. Cortina is most proud of his wife Christine P. Cortina, Ph.D and his daughter Sydney Fair.

Founding President, L. D. Britt Surgical Society

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Wilmington Surgical Associates