An Exemplary Surgeon
An Exemplary Surgeon
Dr Ashok Rajgopal’s name is synonymous with knee replacement surgery. A close look at his long and distinguished career
Dr Ashok Rajgopal knows no introduction today but it has been a long and arduous journey. A journey spanning more than 30 years of hard work, sleepless nights and never-ending dedication.
A graduate from the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune in 1974, he did his internship from the Central Railways Hospital in New Delhi. He went on to do his junior registrarship from AIIMS and subsequently earned his master’s degree also from AIIMS, New Delhi in 1979. After doing senior residency in Safdarjung Hospital he went to Liverpool, UK to do his M.Ch in Orthopaedics which he completed in 1983. In the UK he was mentored by Dr Graham Hayes, a well-known name in the field of orthopaedics.
Dr Ashok Rajgopal returned to India in 1985. He started his career with Moolchand hospital, Lajpat Nagar and Sehgals Nursing Home, Kailash Colony, New Delhi. In Moolchand, he worked under the able guidance of Dr MG Abbott who has been a constant source of inspiration to him.
His drive to excel in his field led him to move to Sitaram Bhartia hospital in 1996 where he continued as Head of Department Orthopaedics till 2004. In 1997 he was appointed honorary orthopaedic surgeon to the then President of India Shri K R Narayanan.
In 2004, he moved to the Fortis group of hospitals as Director Orthopaedics. Here he created a department which catered to every joint in the body in addition to trauma, a dedicated anaesthesia, pain management, and rehabilitation team.
In 2009, Dr Rajgopal and his team of surgeons, anaesthetists and physiotherapists moved to Medanta hospital in Gurgaon. His dream had taken shape by now – the dream of having dedicated surgeons capable of replacing joints. The Medanta Bone & Joint Institute was born under the able chairmanship of Dr Ashok Rajgopal. In 2011, he was awarded honorary FRCS by the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh.
Dr Rajgopal’s dedication to the field of orthopaedics and joint replacement surgery was recognized by the government of India in 2014 when he was awarded the Padmashri in 2014.
In a career spanning more than 30 years, he has to his credit more than 25,000 total knee replacement surgeries and 20,000 arthroscopic and reconstructive surgeries of the knee joint.
Early in his career he was associated with the Sports Authority of India and performed almost free of cost surgeries for sports people who could not afford treatment. He accompanied the Indian contingent to the Seoul Asian Games in 1986 as the team doctor. Dr Rajgopal has to his credit the treatment of star sports people like Pullela Gopichand, Madhumita Bisht, Baichung Bhutia, Karnam Malleswari, . N Kunjarani Devi, to name a few. P. Gopichand went on to win the All England Badminton Championship after undergoing surgery by Dr Rajgopal and to quote him “He is like a father figure, a mentor to me. He stood by me and believed in my abilities long after everyone else had given up hope. I owe Dr Rajgopal a lot”.
Not only is he a very successful sports surgeon his name is actually synonymous with joint replacement surgery in India. His journey as a knee replacement surgeon has been dotted with many firsts. He was the first joint replacement surgeon in India to perform a bilateral total knee replacement surgery. Which means that he operated on both the knees of the patient in one session of anaesthesia. This was in the year 1987. The pioneer of bilateral total knee replacement surgery in India, he also pioneered the concept of minimally invasive unicompartment replacement surgery in 2002. This means that now depending upon the need of the patient he could replace only that part of the knee which was damaged as against the entire knee joint.
He also designed the instrumentation for minimally invasive surgery which was patented by the Zimmer Institute. These instruments are now used by surgeons worldwide for ease in performing minimally invasive knee replacement surgery
Dr Rajgopal was the first surgeon in India to use the gender knee implant, designed especially for the female patient.
He was also the first in India to use Patient specific instrumentation (PSI) a concept where before surgery the patient underwent a MRI of the knee joint and had instrumentation developed especially for him/her.
A prolific surgeon whose desire to excel in his field knows no boundaries, Dr Rajgopal has also been a part of an international group of surgeons who design knee implants. He along with 20 other surgeons from all over the world designed a new knee implant called the PERSONA knee system which is almost like a personalized knee implant. This implant has been in use for the past 30 months in India and has been very successfully received by patients and surgeons alike.
Apart from being an exceptional surgeon, Dr Ashok Rajgopal is a very keen academician. He is a reviewer for several international journals on orthopaedic surgery.
Dr Rajgopal has to his credit a book called “Knee Surgery” which is like a bible for young surgeons aspiring to excel in the field of knee surgery.
He has written several chapters in books dedicated to surgery of the knee joint. His constant endeavours to excel in his field have led him to do a lot of research resulting in several articles and research papers which have been published in international journals dedicated to orthopaedic surgery.
Ever ready to share his knowledge and experience with the younger generation of knee surgeons, Dr Rajgopal is a much sought after speaker at both national and international conferences and seminars. His department also supports fellowships for training of young orthopaedic surgeons.
He himself conducts a conference called the JRSOA on knee and hip replacement surgery once every 18 months in association with the Zimmer Institute. The JRSOA is a much awaited meeting and sees widespread participation of surgeons from all over the country and abroad.
Not only is he a dedicated orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Rajgopal is one individual who has always believed in giving back to society. He launched the “Rajgopal Foundation – Dedicated to The Joy of Walking” on August 24, 2015. It is a nationwide NGO dedicated to providing treatment of arthritis and sports injuries at a subsidized cost to people who cannot afford it. In essence, he has given a formal name to something that he has been doing ever since he started practice in India.
Not only does the foundation provide subsidized care to patients it also has a branch that helps in higher education of the girl child. Female children from the lower socio economic strata can get help to pursue higher education and become self-sufficient. The foundation, in its short span of existence, has already funded the treatment and post-operative care of several individuals unable to afford joint replacement surgery. He conducts satellite clinics in remote parts of the country so as to reach people and help them.
Dr Rajgopal is unfailing in his drive to help spread awareness about arthritis of the knee joint and its treatment. He has given several public awareness talks on the subject in Delhi.
Dr Rajgopal is also a very keen sportsman and athlete. A cricketer in his younger days, he participated in the Delhi Airtel Half Marathon in 2015.
He is very fond of all genres of music. A talented harmonica player, he has cut a CD of his music. Rajgopal Foundation also mentors budding artistes in the field of fine arts.