Shashank Shah

Dr Shashank Shah, is an Indian laparoscopic bariatric surgeon. He is the first and only Indian to be president of 3 societies at same time. He is currently President of AIAARO (All India Association for Advancing Research in Obesity) and immediate past president of Obesity Surgery Society Of India (OSSI), IEF (International Excellence Federation, India Chapter). He is also member of ASMBS, IFSO, SAGES, IHPBA, APHS.

Dr Shashank S. Shah, MBBS, MS, FAIS, FICS (Hon), FMAS (Hon), FIAGES (Hon), FALS (Hon), DLS (France), will receive the American Diabetes Association's 2016 Vivian Fonseca Scholar Award.

Dr Shashank Shah will be recognized with this honor during the Association's 76th Scientific Sessions®, June 10-14, 2016, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Shah is receiving this Award for his abstract, "Gastric Bypass vs. Medical/Lifestyle Care for Type 2 Diabetes in South Asians with BMI 25-40 kg/m²—The COSMID Randomized Trial," (261-OR), which is the focus of his Vivian Fonseca Award Lecture on Sunday, June 12.

Dr. Shashank Shah was born in Sholapur, and brought up in Pune. His school education was done mainly through scholarships. He always had distinction and excellence awards in Mathematics and science. Dr. Shah scored high rank in secondary and higher secondary examinations. He always dreamt to serve society with his intelligence and so he had choose to be a doctor, a surgeon. He was 2nd in the merit list of admission in medical school.

He passed his MBBS in 1988 and then completed his M.S. in 1992 and then did his higher education like FAIS, FMAS (Hon.), DLS, FICS. He travelled to the topmost universities in USA, various centres in Europe and Brazil for higher education and qualification and developed his expertise to excellence.

His experience and skills were recognised by various national bodies like AMASI (Association of Minimally Access surgeons India), IAGES (Indian Association of Gastrointestinal Endosurgeons). He was honoured with honorary fellowships like Hon. FMAS, Hon. FIAGES, Hon. FMAS by these bodies.

After completing his medical education, he has performed more than 35,000 open and laparoscopic surgeries till date, including general surgeries and complex, difficult minimally invasive surgeries. These are surgeries done without a cut or a big wound done only through small incisions. Minimally invasive surgeries are blessing for today, as minimal period required for recovery, lowest risk of bleeding which prevents big physical or even psychological trauma due to the conventional surgical technique.

He has done one of the highest volume of laparoscopic bariatric surgeries in India. He is one of the pioneers in laparoscopic bariatric surgeons in India, being in the field of bariatric surgery since a decade.

In 2000, he was invited to Germany for demonstration of laparoscopic treatment of liver tumour.

Dr. Shashank Shah's technique of thoracoscopic radical thymectomy for myasthenia gravis has been published in the international reference video library ( SAGES).

He has contributed to the lesser invasive treatment of myasthenia gravis by total radical thymectomy which is recognised and referred too in the international reference video library, SAGES (Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons).His contribution was recognised by National Neurological Society and was felicitated by them.

He has to his credit a world record of 45 hernia surgeries in 10 hours, published in Limca book of records in 2005. Such activity spreads awareness about simplified, new and yet affordable surgeries like hernia, Recognizing his knowledge and research in the field of type 2 diabetes, he got to be the honour of being the 1st ever international speaker at the Innovations in Surgery, video conference of the prestigious Cleveland clinic, USA, which was relayed to 36 top universities globally.

He received the IIT innovations award for his research in ‘Surgery For Type 2 Diabetes’.

Dr. Shashank Shah has the credit of successfully operating on one of the youngest boys (7 ½ yrs) in the world to undergo bariatric surgery and also on the heaviest British person (310 kg) to be operated in Asia. BBC channel recognized his unique work by recording 2 special documentaries with him.

The NGC (National Geographic Channel) recognized his work and dedication to prevent childhood and adolescent obesity by recording an awareness documentary with him about journey of an Indian child towards morbid obesity in adolescence.

Bariatric or metabolic surgery is the laparoscopic procedure done for the treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders like diabetes.

Nowadays, Obesity and diabetes are most important killer diseases in India, which are causing a huge economic and social burden on the nation. Dr. Shah pioneered the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in India. Sleeve gastrectomy is accepted worldwide as the safest and best option out of all types of bariatric surgeries without any side effects. He designed his bariatric procedure after understanding the different need of Asian/ Indian from genetic and cultural point of view.

Dr. Shashank Shah tried to explore the mechanism of action of bariatric surgery. He conducted and published research on variation on stomach motility in normal and obese people and after sleeve gastrectomy.

He also presented the initial papers on the effect of this simpler and safer procedure on Indian diabetic patients, making it a popular and suitable procedure for our Indian obese with diabetes.

In the honour of his contribution, Dr. Shah is the only Indian who was invited to be a part of the entire consensus for sleeve gastrectomy summit to form safe practice guidelines for the surgeons worldwide.

Considering and understanding that the increasing number of obese population of India, with increasing demand of bariatric surgeons in India, he started the 1st laparoscopic bariatric training centre in India and so far has trained more than 500 surgeons including Indians and non Indians.

He has contributed the chapter on bariatric surgery in the textbook of surgical gastroenterology and in the book of cardiology updates.

He has travelled across the country in proctoring, training and establishing hundreds of centres for treatment of obesity and diabetes.

He has been the only Indian faculty awarded a ‘Diploma’ as a visiting professor for metabolic and bariatric surgery in the world-renowned university, IRCAD in France. He is also a visiting professor for Malaysian universities.

Dr. Shashank Shah started the 1st trend of surgical and allied training for treatment of obesity through multiple annual international conferences, recognised today as a branded event, MetasurgAsia ( metabolic surgery in Asia ).

He is the 1st Indian bariatric surgeon who published multiple papers in the topmost Index journals on laparoscopic gastric bypass, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and their results on diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk reduction in Indians. He also studied and published the effect of surgery on stomach and intestinal motility as a possible mechanism responsible for improvement in diabetes type 2 after bariatric surgery.

He has published the first paper on study of Gut micro flora and its relation to obesity through research work at National Chemical Laboratories.

He is the initiator and principal investigator for the first randomized controlled trial on surgical treatment of diabetes verses best medical treatment for Indian diabetes ( COSMID), being published in the topmost Index journal and through this he dreams to affect clinical practice and the only ray of hope for the Indian patient’s uncontrolled diabetes.

He is an investigator for various other studies on genomics and diabesity.

He also has the credit of publishing the first paper on the effect of Gastric bypass on non-morbidly-obese Indians, as Indians are prone to diabetes and metabolic syndrome at a weight or body mass index much lower than non Indians making it a clinically accepted option.

As a principal investigator of Mascot study -Study on Cefoperazone/sulbactam for treatment of intra-abdominal infections: results from a prospective, randomized, parallel group study in India" published in Journal of SURGICAL INFECTIONS in MASCOT TRIAL. This is a special trial about the use of particular antibiotic in a particular situation.

In the research project about the improvement in technology for improving safety of the patient undergoing bariatric surgery, Dr. Shah was also involved as a principal investigator in SEAL study- A randomized study of linear staple line reinforcement (SEAL) in Sleeve Gastrectomy.

He served people by working as one of the very few versatile Indian surgeons by offering his services for general surgery, laparoscopic surgery, hernia surgery and also laparoscopic bariatric and metabolic surgery.

He established a centre, Laparo-Obeso Centre, a comprehensive centre for the treatment and reversal of obesity and its related disorders; which became the 1st centre in India to be the International Centre of Excellence by the father of obesity surgery in the world and the founder president of International Federation for Surgery for Obesity.

Dr. Shashank Shah’s centre is accredited with International Excellence Federation for excellence in bariatric and metabolic surgery. He became the 1st President of the Indian Chapter of International Excellence Federation. He is also elected as the President of All India Association for Advancing Research In Obesity. He has been a founder member of various Indian organisations like AMASI (Association of Minimal Access Surgeons of India), APBSS (Asia Pacific Bariatric Surgeons Society), PSS(Poona surgical society), AFOM(Asian Forum) and DODF( Defeat Obesity and Diabetes Foundation) .

 About DODF: Defeat Obesity and Diabetes Foundation is a non profit organisation committed to create awareness about obesity as a disease. 

He is serving the Obesity Surgery Society of India( OSSI) for 9 years as the treasurer, secretary and the President. He struggled hard to increase awareness as Obesity as a disease and for early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes through various public awareness activities like free camps, diagnostic camps, walkathons, newspaper articles and Interviews in media and helped many other organisations doing the same across India.

As a President, he released the 1st position statement in OSSI, stating that Obesity is a disease and not just a lifestyle disorder. He has dedicated his life in the efforts of changing the lookout of the society as well as medicos towards obese person, towards humanity.

The hormonal and metabolic effect of the bariatric surgery was highlighted for awareness of clinicians across Indian and rest of the world. The latest landmark event of Metasurg Asia was the 1st Asian BMI ( bariatric and metabolic integrated )consensus summit, endorsed by various medical organisations and specialists for all the obesity related fields to form a new national guideline for prevention, treatment and research in the field of obesity and diabetes.

His research work may offer a different angle to the treatment options of obesity and related metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes, in which diseases India is leading worldwide by having an alarming growth in the incidence. Some new drugs can come ahead based on this scientific research done by him in association with other developed countries.

Dr. Shashank Shah's research throws light on the need different specific consideration for Asian /Indian patient and his treatment for specific diseases.

Dr. Shah is a member of various national and international organisations and has been invited for orations, key note addresses and live surgery demonstrations.

Diseases associated with obesity like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol cause a decrease in the life expectancy of the younger, productive generation of the nation, and effectively affects badly on the overall growth of India. Dr. Shashank Shah has helped to resolve / improve diabetes mellitus and reduce cardiovascular risk of hundreds of patients by using a mastered scientific technique of laparoscopic metabolic surgery.

In addition to all above, Dr. Shashank Shah does a lot of charity by doing many free cases and also offering his expert services in the charitable institutes like Kamla Nehru hospital, Sasoon hospital and Tarachand Ramnath hospital.