Dr. Anil Sharma

Pioneer of the Surgeon’s Gentle Touch

When surgical innovation meets compassionate care, you’ll often find Dr. Anil Sharma at that intersection. For over three and a half decades, he has been quietly revolutionizing how surgery is performed in India, trading traditional large incisions for the precision of laparoscopic and endoscopic approaches that leave patients with less pain and faster recovery.

As Senior Director at the Max Institute of Laparoscopic, Endoscopic, and Bariatric Surgery in Saket, Dr. Sharma brings a wealth of experience shaped by both international training and homegrown innovation. His surgical journey began in the operating theaters of the United Kingdom, where he honed his skills in emerging minimally invasive techniques. But it was his return to India in 1994 that would prove transformative for countless patients and fellow surgeons alike.

At Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Dr. Sharma didn’t just practice surgery—he pioneered a movement by establishing the Department of Minimal Access Surgery. In an era when large incisions were the norm, he demonstrated that smaller could indeed be better, with patients experiencing less post-operative pain and returning to their lives more quickly.

“The true beauty of minimally invasive surgery isn’t just in the smaller scars,” Dr. Sharma often tells his students. “It’s in watching a patient walk comfortably the day after a procedure that once required a week in hospital.”

His surgical expertise spans the complex landscape of abdominal wall hernias—defects that cause internal organs to push through weakened muscle walls—to life-changing bariatric procedures that help patients overcome obesity and type 2 diabetes. Through delicate laparoscopic techniques, he tackles issues from gallbladder disease to colon disorders with precision that comes only from thousands of hours in the operating room.

Beyond his surgical work, Dr. Sharma has devoted himself to ensuring his knowledge reaches the next generation. His structured training programs—Basic Medical Writing for Surgeons and Hernia Essentials—fill crucial educational gaps. Through workshops that draw surgeons from across Asia, he demonstrates techniques while emphasizing the thoughtful decision-making that guides each surgical move.

His leadership in surgical organizations reflects the respect he commands among peers. As President of the Asia Pacific Hernia Society and Vice President of the Indian Association of Gastrointestinal Endosurgeons, he has helped shape standards of care that extend far beyond his own operating room.

For patients facing the prospect of surgery, Dr. Sharma offers something beyond technical excellence—understanding. His approach recognizes that behind every surgical case is a person whose life has been disrupted by illness, and whose greatest wish is simply to return to normalcy. It’s this combination of surgical innovation and human connection that has made Dr. Anil Sharma not just a respected surgeon, but a trusted healer.