Dr. Akanand Singh is one of the first Nepali surgeons to specialize in hepatobiliary and liver transplantation surgery and a pioneering figure in the development of liver transplant services in Nepal. He is the first Nepali to earn a PhD in Hepatobiliary Surgery and has dedicated his career to making life-saving liver transplantation accessible within Nepal.

Clinical Expertise and Surgical Training

Dr. Singh’s clinical and research focus centers on living donor liver transplantation, hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery, and building sustainable transplant programs in resource-limited settings. In 2021, he established Nepal’s first liver transplantation program outside the capital city at Chitwan Medical College. He subsequently joined KIST Medical College Teaching Hospital, where he led the team that performed Nepal’s first Combined Liver-Kidney Transplantation in 2023.

His advanced surgical training includes fellowships at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, where he participated in over 150 liver transplants, along with visiting positions at Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic in the United States. He completed his Master of General Surgery and PhD in Hepatobiliary Surgery from Chongqing Medical University, China.

Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS)

In September 2026, Dr. Singh was conferred the degree of Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) at the College’s convocation in Washington, D.C., USA. The FACS credential represents the highest level of education, expertise, and excellence, and is not an honor that should be considered lightly.

Research and Publications in Liver Transplantation

Dr. Singh’s research addresses the real-world barriers to liver transplantation in Nepal. His work documents the institutional challenges facing transplant programs, including regulatory hurdles, workforce limitations, late patient referral, and the financial burdens that prevent many eligible patients from accessing surgery.

A key study examining patients evaluated for transplant at KIST Medical College found that donor unavailability and financial constraints were the primary reasons patients did not proceed with transplantation. This research provides evidence for policy reforms aimed at improving access to life-saving liver transplantation in low-resource settings.

His research has been published in high-impact international journals, including Transplantation, GUT, the Journal of Inflammation Research, and other leading peer-reviewed publications in hepatobiliary surgery and transplantation.

Awards and International Recognition

Dr. Singh has received international recognition for his contributions, including:

• Young Investigator Award – International Liver Transplantation Society (2020)
• Traveling Fellowship – Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (2023), as the sole recipient from a low- or middle-income country
• Nepal Bidhyabhushan “K” (नेपाल विद्याभूषण “क”) – Conferred by the President of Nepal

Current Positions

Dr. Singh currently serves as:

• Associate Professor of Surgery & Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplant Surgeon – KIST Medical College, Lalitpur
• Visiting Consultant Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplant Surgeon – Nepal Mediciti Hospital, Lalitpur

Commitment to Liver Transplantation in Nepal through his clinical practice, research, and mentorship, Dr. Akanand Singh remains committed to making liver transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery a viable, accessible treatment option for patients in Nepal.