Dr. Varun Bhalla MD

Avery Award in Pediatric Surgery

Palmetto Children’s Hospital

Columbia, South Carolina

I am truly grateful and honored to receive this award from Avery’s Angels, especially for something that I consider the utmost privilege: to care for children. Like many conditions in pediatric surgery, Gastroschisis is often thought of as a congenital birth defect requiring urgent surgical management; yet its complexity as a disease process represents something far beyond that. Establishing a lasting personal relationship with the family is just one facet of this journey that I welcome and embrace, as we work together to help the patient navigate through challenging times.

Dr. Bhalla graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University and completed his medical degree and general surgery residency at the Medical College of Georgia, now known as Augusta University Medical Center. He then completed a fellowship in pediatric surgical critical care at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., followed by a pediatric surgical fellowship at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fl. After completing his training, Dr. Bhalla joined Palmetto Children’s Hospital in Columbia, SC, where he lives with his wife and three children. He is board certified in general surgery, surgical critical care, and pediatric surgery.