Tata Memorial surgeon Dr. Shailesh Shrikhande receives prestigious American honour

Tata Memorial Hospital at Parel. File pic/Shadab Khan

Dr Shailesh Vinayak Shrikhande, a renowned gastrointestinal cancer surgeon from Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, was awarded The Honorary Fellowship by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) during its Clinical Congress 2024 in San Francisco, recently. This prestigious recognition is the highest, and a rare honour conferred by the ACS, highlighting his significant contributions to cancer surgery.

He is the fourth Indian to get this honour from ACS and only second Indian to get honorary fellowship from American Surgical Association (ASA) in 2021. Serving as the Deputy Director of Tata Memorial Hospital, Dr Shrikhande also leads the division of cancer surgery and the gastrointestinal and hepato-pancreato-biliary service. He is recognised worldwide for his surgical expertise exemplified by performing over 1,200 Whipple procedures for pancreatic tumours. This surgery is universally regarded as the most challenging of surgeries.

Dr Shrikhande has repeatedly been listed in Stanford University's list of the world's highest contributing researchers and is a visiting professor at 8 prestigious universities across Europe and USA. The honour highlights "Dr Shrikhande has been a leader in ensuring access to care for patients, accomplishing this goal in part by teaching surgeons through India and ensuring the creation of housing for impoverished patients at his institution in Mumbai".

Speaking to mid-day, Dr Shrikande said, "I am delighted to be receiving the Honorary fellowship. Having said that, these honours would not be worth it, if I was working in some other part of the world after getting my education. I am delighted that I have been able to put this to use, in a country like India. Moreover, I am thankful to Tata Memorial Hospital and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), known for its selfless work culture, for giving me the opportunity to use my education and skills for cancer patient care and for treatment. I think that's what makes our life enriching. If I am able to inspire the next generation of surgeons, all these awards and recognition would be truly worth the effort."