Hyderabad, June 18 : Eminent breast cancer surgeon Dr. Raghu Ram Pillarisetti will be conferred with the honorary fellowship of the American Surgical Association (ASA). Dr Raghu Ram is the founding director of KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases, Hyderabad. This is the highest recognition that the ASA can bestow upon a surgical colleague from a foreign country and would be conferred upon him during the 144th annual Congress of ASA to be held in Washington in April, 2024. Founded in 1880, ASA is America's oldest and the most prestigious surgical organisation. Its members include the nation's most prominent surgeons from the country's leading academic medical institutions, many of whom are Chairs of the Departments of Surgery at these institutions. In a letter addressed to Dr Raghu Ram, Prof Mary Hawn, Secretary of American Surgical Association & Chairman, Department of Surgery at the Stanford University said: "It gives me great pleasure to inform you that the Council of the American Surgical Association (ASA) has unanimously voted to elect you to Honorary Fellowship. This is the highest recognition that the ASA can bestow upon a surgical colleague from a foreign country. At present, there are 99 Honorary Fellows from throughout the world. Dr. Steven C. Stain, President of ASA joins me and the membership in sending you our congratulations." A Padma Shri and Dr B.C Roy National awardee, Dr Raghu Ram Pillarisetti has been bestowed with a string of honorary fellowships from several world renowned Surgical Organisations at a young age. These include Hon. FRCS from The Royal College of Surgeons of England (2022), Honorary Fellowship from The Association of Surgeons of Great Britain & Ireland (2021), Hon. Fellowship from the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka (2020), Honorary Fellowship from the Chinese College of Surgeons (2020) & Hon. FRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons of Thailand (2019). Dr Raghu Ram revolutionised breast cancer care in India over the past 17 years through a series of innovative measures. He established South Asia's First comprehensive Breast Health Centre and founded a charitable Foundation to raise awareness of the disease nationwide. He implemented South Asia's largest population-based screening programme in the southern Indian states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh - this programme is currently being rolled out nationwide. He played a pivotal role in forming the Association of Breast Surgeons of India, which is South Asia's first and only Organisation that represents surgeons practicing Breast Surgery in India. /IANS