(October 14, 2025) Scalpel in hand or boots on a mountain trail, Dr Praveen Mereddy moves through life guided by precision, perseverance, and purpose. Over the past two decades, the Hyderabad-based orthopaedic surgeon has not only restored mobility to thousands of patients but also explored more than 30 countries, trekking through some of the world’s most breathtaking landscapes. From Mount Batur in Bali and Everest Base Camp in Nepal to the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru, and 300–450 km endurance rides with the Cycle Safari group — each journey, he says, has taught him as much about life as it has about medicine.
“For me, endurance, humility, and perspective are universal virtues whether I’m in the operating theatre or on a mountain ridge,” says Dr Praveen Mereddy, Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Star Hospitals, Nanakramguda, Hyderabad, in conversation with Global Indian. “My team often jokes that I go into a meditative mode during complex procedures — a state of deep focus and flow.” Not only have his experiences as a traveller and trekker shaped his worldview, they have also defined his approach to surgery — calm, consistent, and clear-headed.
Dr Praveen Mereddy
The calm in the chaos
In trauma and orthopaedics, where decisions are made in seconds and outcomes can change lives, Dr Praveen who has performed more than 1,500 hip and knee replacements (including revisions) and around 2,000 trauma surgeries stands out for his technical precision and composure. “Every case, especially trauma and revision work, demands total focus and calm under pressure. Orthopaedics teaches you to stay composed in chaos, to make split-second decisions,” he explains.
For Dr Praveen, surgery is more than science. It is a meditative art that demands a still mind and steady hands. “Each incision is an act of responsibility,” he reflects. “You’re not just repairing a joint; you’re restoring confidence, dignity, and hope.” Over time, he has come to see parallels between endurance sports and surgery, both requiring rhythm, patience, and the ability to stay composed when fatigue sets in. “In the middle of a long trek or a marathon surgery, you stop hearing the noise. That’s when focus takes over, and that’s when you do your best work.”
Despite these challenges, what keeps him grounded is the belief that every patient teaches something new about resilience, trust, and the privilege of healing. “These everyday lessons, and the gaps I see in patient awareness and systemic support, continually remind me of the larger mission to build a healthcare ecosystem that’s as compassionate as it is advanced.”
Challenges beyond the operating room
In orthopaedics, the greatest challenges often extend beyond surgical expertise. “Technical precision is vital, but what truly tests a surgeon is the ability to manage expectations, communicate clearly, and motivate patients to take charge of their own recovery,” he says. Patient compliance remains a recurring challenge ensuring continued physiotherapy and rehabilitation. “The success of even the most complex operation often depends not just on the surgeon’s skill, but on the patient’s discipline in following through with exercises and lifestyle adjustments.”
Another hurdle lies in perception. “Sometimes, patients measure recovery in terms of X-rays or costs rather than functional outcomes. Helping them understand that healing is a process guided by biology, patience, and perseverance requires time, empathy, and trust.”
The specialist and his craft
While Dr Praveen specialises in hip and knee revision surgeries and pelvi-acetabular trauma, his expertise spans a wide spectrum of complex, high-precision procedures. His work includes the management of pelvi-acetabular trauma and complex fracture reconstruction, revision hip and knee replacement surgeries, and complex primary and partial knee replacements.
Roots and early spark
Born in Karimnagar, Dr Praveen grew up in a household grounded in values and discipline. His father lived a principled life until 84, while his mother continues to be a source of strength and inspiration. A bright student from the start, he began school at just two years and three months, excelling academically at institutions across Telangana. “I was always curious and eager to learn, often among the top five in a class of sixty,” recalls Dr Praveen, who earned a state scholarship for three consecutive years and even won first prize in an essay competition on The Green Revolution.
Equally passionate about sports, he played kho-kho, cricket, basketball, and excelled in athletics. At Loyola Academy, Secunderabad, he further honed his athletic skills alongside his academic pursuits balancing mental agility with physical endurance, a balance that would later define his medical career.
A doctor by destiny
Medicine, he says, was his parents’ dream, and his destiny. Encouraged by his father, he joined Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Mangalore, in 1991, where he developed a fascination for anatomy and osteology. The turning point came when he met Prof. Shantharam Shetty, whose surgical discipline left a lasting impression. After his internship at Osmania Medical College Hospitals, Hyderabad (1996–97), a personal experience of caring for his grandmother after a hip fracture reaffirmed his choice of orthopaedics.
He completed his MS (Orthopaedics) at KMC Mangalore (1997–2000), training under some of the finest teachers in the field. Later, at Manipal Hospital, City Hospital, and Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad (2001–2003) under Dr A.V. Guruva Reddy, he built his foundation in joint replacement and trauma surgery. “Those years taught me not just technique but temperament,” he recalls.
Dr Praveen Mereddy with Dr Cyril Mauffrey
A decade of transformation in the UK
Between 2003 and 2012, Dr Praveen trained across top hospitals in the United Kingdom, including North Tees and Hartlepool, Arrow Park Hospital, and Gateshead Health. Mentored by distinguished surgeons such as Dr Richard Parkinson, Dr Nigel Donnachie, Dr John Harrison, Dr Tony Nargol, and Dr Raj Logishetty deepened his expertise in joint replacement and revision surgeries. “My fellowship with Dr Nargol, in particular, refined my approach to complex hip and knee procedures,” he mentions. “The UK years were transformative. They refined my skills, professionalism, and perspective,” he says.
Despite being offered a consultant position there, he chose to return to India in 2012, “richer in experience, perspective, and purpose,” determined to contribute to India’s rapidly advancing healthcare landscape.
Fellowships and global expertise
His pursuit of excellence continued through prestigious international fellowships, including the AO Trauma Fellowship at Denver Health Trauma Centre, USA (2025), the Ronald Burkle Fellowship at the Anterior Hip Foundation, Nashville, USA (2024), and the Zimmer Fellowship in Revision Hip and Knee Arthroplasty, UK (2011–2012). Beyond clinical mastery, he remains actively engaged in academia with over twenty research publications, more than fifty presentations, and a hundred guest lectures at national and international platforms.
Raising the bar for Indian orthopaedics
“India has made remarkable progress in orthopaedics over the last fifteen years,” notes Dr Praveen. “We’ve adopted innovations like robotics, navigation systems, and 3D printing while maintaining accessibility and cost-effectiveness unmatched in the West.”
However, he stresses the need for long-term data on implant outcomes and national registries to ensure quality. “The next leap forward must focus on scalability, standardization, and inclusivity building systems where evidence-based practice and affordable innovation go hand in hand.”
The most challenging case
Among his many complex surgeries, one case remains etched in his memory — saving a two-year-old girl run over by a reversing truck. “Ten hospitals had declined to take her case due to the extreme risks involved. Our multidisciplinary team used innovative solutions that proved crucial to her survival. Her recovery was nothing short of a miracle,” he recalls with quiet pride.
Leading with purpose
Today, as Head of the Department of Orthopaedics (DNB training) at Star Hospitals, he is shaping the next generation of surgeons. “True leadership in medicine is about lifting others, staying composed under pressure, and nurturing trust,” he reflects. “That’s the legacy I hope to leave behind a culture where skill meets empathy, and learning never stops.”
A life in motion
An early riser, Dr Praveen begins his day at 5 a.m., followed by badminton or gym training before heading to the hospital. “Balanced nutrition and muscle preservation are non-negotiable,” he says, emphasizing preventive health as much as curative. Outside the operating theatre, he finds joy in badminton, tennis, and pickleball. “Sports teach timing, reflex, and humility — lessons that echo in surgery.”
His wife, Dr Sharada Bonthu, is a dermatologist and cosmetologist in Hyderabad. The couple’s two daughters are pursuing medicine and school education respectively.
Away from the hospital, Dr Praveen often draws creative inspiration from travel and nature. “The solitude of a trail or a quiet sunrise in a new country gives you clarity that the busiest day in the city never can,” he says. These experiences, he believes, make him a better doctor, teaching him empathy through observation and patience through adversity. Whether watching the discipline of a Japanese commuter train or the resilience of farmers in the Andes, he finds metaphors for healing everywhere. “Every journey, like every surgery, is about progress, one deliberate step at a time.”
The globetrotter’s perspective
Travel and trekking are Dr Praveen’s ways of rejuvenation. Having explored over 30 countries, he finds in every journey a reminder of life’s rhythm and balance. “Travel broadens not just the mind, but also empathy — a quality essential for both doctors and human beings.”
Last month, he and 14 of his childhood friends trekked the legendary Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru. “The ascent to Dead Woman’s Pass (4,215 m) was the real test. Thin air, steep climbs, and sheer exhaustion pushed us to our limits. But standing atop that pass was one of the most humbling moments of my life.”
They reached Intipunku (Sun Gate) at dawn on the final day. “No photograph can capture that moment of stillness at Machu Picchu,” he smiles — a fitting metaphor for a life built on resilience, reflection, and the pursuit of mastery, both in medicine and beyond.
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