Rana Pullatt, M.D., elected president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

The Medical University of South Carolina’s Department of Surgery has announced that Rana Pullatt, M.D., an internationally recognized leader in bariatric and robotic surgery, has been elected president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). The ASMBS is the world’s leading organization dedicated to advancing the science, practice and education of metabolic and bariatric surgery. 

Pullatt will begin his presidential term in June 2027, following a competitive selection process. He assumes the role of vice president starting in July, president-elect beginning a year later.

In 2023, Pullatt was recognized with the ASMBS Foundation’s Clinical Excellence Award, the organization’s highest honor, for his impact on patient care and surgical innovation. In 2024, the Obesity Surgery Society of India gave him Honorary Life Membership status for his contributions to the field of obesity surgery and his commitment to advancing the mission and values of the Obesity Surgery Society of India.

Pullatt serves as chief of the Division of Foregut and Metabolic Surgery and clinical director of the Bariatric and Robotic Surgery Program at MUSC. He is also a diplomate in obesity medicine and a bariatric surgeon at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, providing care to veterans across South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama.

Pullatt is known for treating complex, high-body-mass-index cases. A global authority in robotic surgery, he has done more than 2,400 robotic procedures. He was the first surgeon in South Carolina to perform a laparoscopic biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch and is a pioneer of the robotic duodenal switch procedure. Pullatt also helped establish one of the first structured robotic surgery training programs in the U.S., enabling general surgery residents at MUSC to achieve robotic certification.

In addition to mentoring residents, Pullatt has trained and certified attending surgeons across the country and regularly hosts international surgeons seeking hands-on experience in advanced robotic and bariatric techniques. 

“Dr. Pullatt has earned the respect and admiration both within MUSC and globally — for his exceptional surgical expertise, his compassionate care for high-BMI patients, and his collaborative, team-based approach,” said Prabhakar Baliga, M.D., chair of the MUSC Department of Surgery. “I congratulate him on this well-deserved honor to lead the ASMBS.”