India is in the midst of a growing health crisis driven by unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles, stress, and rising metabolic disorders. As obesity rates climb across all age groups, bariatric and metabolic surgery have become life-saving interventions. As per National Family Health Survey’s (NFHS) latest data, the prevalence of obesity has increased 146 percent among men and 91 percent among women, as compared to the 2019-21 report.
A similar trend has been seen across children under 5-years and adolescents as well. At the center of India’s transformation toward safer, minimally invasive bariatric surgery stands Dr Pradeep Chowbey, the Group Chairman of Max Institute of Laparoscopic, Robotic, Bariatric and GI Surgery, the surgeon who not only introduced bariatric surgery to the country but also built the ecosystem around it, from training and guidelines to global leadership and international recognition.
Dr Pradeep earned his MBBS and MS (General Surgery) from the Government Medical College, Jabalpur (now known as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College). He later acquired a number of prestigious fellowships and professional qualifications, including FRCS (London), MNAMS (India), and fellowships such as FIMSA, FAIS, FICS, FACS, FIAGES, FALS, and FMAS.
When laparoscopic surgery began to emerge globally, Dr Pradeep recognized its potential. After receiving training, he introduced laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) and is a pioneer laparoscopic surgeon in the Asian subcontinent.
The landmark moment came in 1996 when he established the Minimal Access & Bariatric Surgery Centre at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi, reportedly the first centre of its kind in the Asian subcontinent. This laid the foundation for modern laparoscopic and bariatric surgery in India, a paradigm shift in how abdominal and metabolic surgeries would be performed.
Dr Pradeep and his team have reportedly performed close to 100,000 major laparoscopic surgeries over four decades. For this, he has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records (1997) and multiple editions of the Limca Book of Records (2000-2020) for being the most prolific minimal access surgeon in India.
A Surgeon Ahead of His Time
In the late 1990s, while attending a medical program in the US, Dr Pradeep witnessed a surgery performed solely to treat obesity, a concept almost unheard of in India at the time. Many still considered obesity a cosmetic issue or a result of poor discipline, not a complex metabolic disease. But Dr Pradeep saw the truth before statistics confirmed it: India was heading toward an obesity and diabetes explosion.
Urbanization, fast-food culture, and increasingly sedentary lifestyles were accelerating rapidly. He recognized that India would soon need a reliable, scientifically proven surgical solution for morbid obesity and related metabolic disorders such as type-2 diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea.
Motivated by this insight, he trained in advanced bariatric techniques in the US and brought the procedures to India. In 2000, he became the first surgeon in India, South Asia, and the entire Asia-Pacific region to successfully perform a laparoscopic bariatric surgery, marking the beginning of a new era in Indian healthcare.
Introducing a new surgical discipline to India required far more than clinical skill; it required conviction, advocacy, and a willingness to challenge established norms. Dr Pradeep’s early commitment to laparoscopic techniques gave bariatric surgery in India a major advantage.
He used minimally invasive techniques to make bariatric procedures safer, less painful, cosmetically excellent, lower in complication rates, and far quicker in recovery than traditional open surgery. This approach helped remove widespread fear around obesity surgery and brought international confidence to Indian operating rooms.
Creating India’s First Dedicated Bariatric Programs
Dr Pradeep established a dedicated bariatric and metabolic surgery departments at Sir Ganga Ram
Hospital and later at Max Healthcare, Saket, New Delhi. These centers evolved into national referral hubs and training grounds for new surgeons from India and abroad.
Under his leadership, the Max Institute became the Founder Center of Excellence accreditation from the Surgical Review Corporation, US, for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery (2010), Hernia Surgery (2014) and Gynecological Surgery. These recognitions placed India among the global destinations for safe bariatric care.
Dr Pradeep recognized early that introducing bariatric surgery would be insufficient unless India also built the infrastructure to sustain it. He dedicated decades to building academic pathways, surgical communities, and systems of standardization.
He then co-founded the Obesity Surgery Society of India (OSSI) in 2006, now the country’s leading body governing standards for bariatric and metabolic surgery. OSSI focuses on education and training, accreditation, safety & quality control, and widespread awareness of metabolic surgery’s benefits.
Under his leadership, OSSI gained international recognition and helped India become a respected contributor to global obesity science.
Setting Milestones, Standardizing Procedures & Defining Guidelines
Dr Pradeep’s center became synonymous with minimally invasive surgical training. Through fellowships, observerships, live surgeries, and international CME programs, he has trained thousands of surgeons from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Many of India’s leading bariatric surgeons today trace their training lineage directly to him. His greatest international recognition came in 2012 when he was elected Global President of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity (IFSO), the world’s largest and most influential bariatric surgery body.
Dr Pradeep’s journey stands as an example of what innovation, compassion, and leadership can achieve, making him a true architect of modern bariatric and meta bolic surgery in India
He remains the first and only Indian to hold this prestigious position. His Biography has been published in the Obesity Surgery Journal (the official journal of International Federation of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders), 2016.
Dr Pradeep has been instrumental in developing international guidelines related to bariatric and obesity surgery, particularly under the auspices of global surgical organizations. As Global President of IFSO, he contributed to guidelines and best practices for metabolic and obesity surgery.
Recognized internationally, these guidelines provide standards for patient selection criteria for bariatric surgery, preoperative assessment & optimization, surgical procedures, post-operative care and follow-up.
Additionally, he was instrumental in formulating the 2008 and 2010 guidelines for Metabolic & Obesity Surgery in India, which later aligned with international standards; these guidelines served as a reference for other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Under Dr Pradeep’s care, patients once trapped by long-standing metabolic diseases have experienced remission of type - 2 diabetes, significant & sustained weight loss, resolution of hypertension & sleep apnea, improved fertility & hormonal balance, and dramatic improvement in energy, mobility, and confidence.
One of his most internationally recognized cases was treating the world’s heaviest teenager(BMI 92 kg/m²)— a milestone that highlighted India’s advanced capabilities in managing extreme obesity.
Accolades That Mirror a Legacy
Dr Pradeep has been honored globally for his leadership, innovation, and academic contribution to bariatric and metabolic surgery. However, his most meaningful legacy remains the countless lives transformed and the surgeons empowered through his training and mentorship.
A few of his notable honors include Padma Shri awarded by the President of India (2002), Honorary Surgeon to the President of India, Honorary Surgeon to the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), Surgeon to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Visionary Leadership Award in Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery – IFSO-APC, Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for excellence in laparoscopic & metabolic surgery, and many more.
Continuing his vision for technological advancement in surgery, Dr Pradeep was among the first in India to introduce next-generation robotic surgery. Under his guidance, his team set a world record in robotic surgeries, performing the highest number of robotic bariatric procedures in India, a feat recognized internationally.
This achievement cemented his position as a leader not just in laparoscopic surgery, but in robot-assisted metabolic surgery globally. In a nation facing one of the fastest-growing obesity rates in the world, his contributions have preserved dignity, restored health, and saved countless lives.
Beyond the realm of medicine, Dr Pradeep leads a life enriched by diverse passions. His life is shaped by curiosity, discipline, and deep compassion. A trained aviator, he once held a Private Pilot License from the Delhi Flying Club.
His love for the outdoors led him to earn a mountaineering diploma from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (Darjeeling), after which he pursued high-altitude trekking, finding both challenge and solace in the mountains’ quiet strength.
Key Honorary Memberships
• American Society of Metabolic & Bariatric Surgeons
• Society of Bariatric & Metabolic surgeons of Kazakhstan
• International Endohernia Society
• United Arab Emirates Surgery Society
• Japanese Society of Endoscopic Surgeons in Osaka
• Egyptian Society for Bariatric Surgery
• German Hernia Society at Oldenburg
• Indonesian Hernia Society at Bali
• Gulf Cooperation Council Hernia Society
• Association of Minimal Access surgeons of India
Esteemed Positions Held So Far
• Founder President - Asia Pacific Hernia Society (2004)
• Presidentb - Asia Pacific Hernia Society (2004- 2009)
• President - Asia Pacific Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery Society (2010-12)
• President - Asia Pacific Chapter of International Federation for the Surgery of
Obesity & Metabolic Disorders (2011- 13)
• Global President - International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity &
Metabolic Disorders (2012-13)
• President - Obesity & Metabolic Surgery Society of India (2006-10)
• Trustee & Past President - Indian Association of Gastrointestinal EndoSurgeons
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