A great surgeon isn’t just remembered for how many procedures they perform, but for the way they care for the patient, support their team, and respect the system they work in. Being a surgeon demands precision, pressure-handling, and decision-making that can change lives within minutes. The surgeons who stand out aren’t just those with the steadiest hands, they’re the ones who pair that skill with purpose, and a sense of responsibility that goes far beyond the operating table.

Dr Anuj Sharma is one of those rare names who balances it all.

A leading laparoscopic and fertility surgeon, a mentor, and policy advocate who has built a practice that serves everyone, from patients in metros to those in small towns.

For Dr Anuj, medicine wasn’t just a career, it was the only path that ever felt right. Born to a family of doctors in Meerut, with a dermato-logist father and a gynaecologist mother who ran her own hospital, he grew up witnessing what true care looks like.

What began as childhood inspiration soon turned into purpose. Dr Anuj, began his medical journey in 1998 at KMC, Mangalore, and completed his MS in General Surgery from HIMS, Dehradun in 2005, just when laparoscopy was beginning to reshape surgical care in India.

After a senior residency at UCMS, Delhi, he completed a fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery at AIIMS and another in Sexual Medicine in Budapest, Hungary. Over the years, his work has taken him from the corridors of AIIMS to global conferences in Taiwan, Shanghai, and across Europe and Asia.

Today, he’s recognized as a leading name in minimally invasive surgery, male sexual health, and fertility sciences, and as someone shaping the future of surgical care.

Doing What’s Right for the Patient

In the early years of his practice, when Meerut lacked specialized care, Dr Anuj and his team handled a wide range of surgeries, from urology and paediatric cases to plastic surgery, stepping in where specialists were scarce.

Today, his primary focus lies in laparoscopic and minimally invasive procedures. His team regularly performs surgeries like gallbladder removal, hernia repair, and appendicitis, along with proctology cases such as piles and fissures. One area he finds particularly meaningful is infertility-related procedures, especially varicocele surgeries for male infertility.

A notable advancement in his practice is TESA (Testicular Sperm Aspiration), which enables IVF for men with azoospermia by retrieving sperm directly from the testes. At Prem Nursing Home, the Prem Test Tube Baby Centre, and Prem Hospital Meerut, thousands of advanced surgeries are performed each year, with IVF success stories now crossing 500 under his leadership.

What sets his approach apart is not just the range of surgeries but doing what’s best for the patient. “In my hospital, the motto is that the best person should do the job, no ego, no compromise,” he says.

A Case That Said It All

One case that stands out for Dr Anuj was a case of IVF. A doctor friend from his MBBS days called him about a couple from Liverpool who had gone through three failed IVF cycles abroad. Despite Dr Anuj’s concerns about the pressure and the odds, the family insisted on travelling to Meerut.

The couple stayed in Meerut for three months and continued their treatment. The woman conceived twins and returned to Liverpool. A few months later, they came back to visit, with their children. “I think, someone travelling all the way just to say thank you is the biggest gift anyone can receive,” says Dr Anuj.

The goal is not to operate more, but to impact more, that’s how you really serve

Equal Care

Dr Anuj leads Prem Nursing Home, the Prem Test Tube Baby Centre, and Prem Hospital Meerut, one of the fastest growing multidisciplinary hospital groups in North India. He has also empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat scheme for general surgeries. Whether it’s a cash-paying client, someone with insurance, or a beneficiary of Ayushman, the quality of care remains the same. “The implants, the medication, the food, everything is exactly the same. We don’t cut corners,” he says.

Dr Anuj is also grateful to have access to a strong backup system through a public hospital he’s attached to. There, major surgeries that would normally cost lakhs in a private setup are done for just a few hundred to few thousand rupees.

Support That Goes Beyond the Procedure

Dr Anuj leads a team of around 19 doctors, including three surgeons, and a full support staff of nearly 150 people. From the medical and nursing superintendents to the class IV workers who maintain hygiene on the wards, everyone has a role that matters. “Sometimes I feel they’re more important than us,” he says. “We just come in, operate, and leave. But they’re the ones who stay with the patient, maintain hygiene, and prevent infections.”

Beyond the hospital, Dr Anuj credits much of his strength to his wife and small circle of close friends. “My wife is incredibly supportive. Whether it’s a professional issue, a personal health scare, or a patient problem, I always know she’s with me. And sometimes, that’s all you need,” he says.

Evolving With Advancements

There’s an old saying from the early days of surgery: “Big surgeons make big incisions.” But now, Dr Anuj puts it as, “The bigger the surgeon, the smaller the incision.” With the rise of laparoscopy and advanced minimally invasive techniques, surgery has become more precise, less painful, and much easier for patients to recover from. Robotic surgeries, NOTES (Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery), and newer tools are reshaping what’s possible. “Things are moving fast. But we adopt what’s necessary and practical for our setup,” he says.

Looking ahead, Dr Anuj hopes to be a changemaker in the space of men’s sexual health, an area often overlooked. He envisions building skill-transfer centers to train rural doctors in laparoscopic techniques, creating digital platforms for mental and sexual health support tailored to men in smaller cities, and advocating for a national registry on male sexual dysfunction to drive meaningful policy reform.