Dr. Akanand Singh is a prominent Nepali hepatobiliary and liver transplant surgeon, recognized for his work in liver transplantation, complex hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery, liver cancer treatment, and minimally invasive surgery. He is also involved in medical education and surgical research.
Education and training:
Dr. Singh completed his MBBS from Zhengzhou University in China in 2009 and subsequently pursued advanced training in hepatobiliary surgery at Chongqing Medical University, where he earned his master's degree and PhD. According to NIHS, he became the first Nepali to earn a PhD in Hepatobiliary Surgery in 2016.
He later completed a Fellowship in Minimal Access Surgery (FMAS) through the Association of Minimal Access Surgeons of India and a two-year fellowship in Liver Transplantation and HPB Surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi.
Contributions to liver transplantation in Nepal:
One of Dr. Singh's notable contributions was helping establish the first liver-transplant program outside Kathmandu at Chitwan Medical College in 2021, expanding access to transplantation services beyond Nepal's capital.
He has also been associated with advanced transplant procedures, including Nepal's first combined liver-kidney transplantation, performed at KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital.
His professional interests include:
Academic and research work:
Dr. Singh combines clinical practice with teaching and research. He is described as an Associate Professor of Surgery at KIST Medical College & Teaching Hospital and has held consultant roles in specialized surgical care.
His research has included liver-transplant outcomes and graft-related complications. A notable 2022 publication in Transplantation introduced the Hepatic Portal Index (HPi) as a parameter for predicting graft-related outcomes in adult living-donor liver transplantation.
The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) has also featured Dr. Singh in its member spotlight, highlighting his journey from Nepal to China for medical education and subsequently to India for specialized liver-transplant training.
Awards and recognition:
Among his reported professional honors are the Young Investigator Award from the International Liver Transplantation Society in 2020, an SSAT Fellowship in 2023, and the Nepal Bidhya Bhushan “Ka” academic honor.
Overall, Dr. Akanand Singh represents a generation of Nepali surgeons working to expand advanced liver-transplant and hepatobiliary surgery within Nepal. His combination of surgical practice, research, teaching, and international training has contributed to the development of specialized liver and HPB services in the country.