Sanjay Agarwala

DR. SANJAY AGARWALA

Chief of Surgery, Head – Orthopaedics & Traumatology
Director Professional Services
D.ORTHO M.S. (ORTH) (BOM)., M.CH.ORTH(ENG).

Professional Brief
Dr. Sanjay Agarwala is the Medical Director⁽¹⁾ of Hinduja Hospital and Chief of Surgery. He is also a Visiting Consultant at Breach Candy Hospital ⁽²⁾ in Mumbai. Besides holding these distinguished designations, Dr Agarwala is the President and Founder Trustee of ISHKS⁽³⁾ (Indian Society of Hip and Knee Surgeons), the representative body of Joint Replacement Surgeons in India.

Whilst Dr. Agarwala an Adult Reconstructive Orthopedic Surgeon has a principal interest in joint replacement surgery, he also specialises in complex fractures and poly-trauma,

His work profile underlines his efforts and determination to provide excellence in healthcare services particularly in the field of orthopaedics. Some of his distinguished recognitions are listed below

• Gold Medals at MBBS ⁽⁴⁾,
• The Chatrabhuj Jakhete Medal for MCPS ⁽⁵⁾,
• Stood First in M.S. Orth ⁽⁶⁾
• The International Graduate Fellowship Award of the Rotary Foundation USA.⁽⁷⁾
• Hand and Microsurgical Fellowship, Derby, UK. ⁽⁸⁾
• The Stanley Johnson Microsurgical Fellowship Award, Harrow, UK. ⁽⁹⁾
• The Norman Roberts Medal LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY, U.K. – Stood First at the Mch Orth Examination ⁽¹⁰⁾
• The J.C. Patel – B.C. Mehta award of the Journal of Associations of Physicians of India (JAPI). ⁽¹¹⁾

His contribution to medical excellence
He has led research in the hitherto medically untreatable disease of Avascular Necrosis (AVN). AVN is a medical condition where there is a loss of blood supply to the hip, thus rendering the patient crippled with pain.

Dr Agarwala’s revolutionary research is acknowledged by his publication and has resulted in the world-wide acceptance of the use of oral Bisphosphonates as successful medical treatment of AVN, that was otherwise only treated surgically. In fact, his published data is now used in the chapters of text books on AVN management. Moving from a state of pain & despair, patients are now able to return to their normal life without surgery with upto 95% success.

He is a pioneer in performing normal physiology joint replacements. Joint replacement is a common medical phenomenon in India, and many patients are faced with a singular challenge of getting back to their normal life, after opting for such surgery. Dr. Agarwala’s patients have made a successful exception to the rule; such patients can now resume activities like yoga, squatting, sitting cross legged, and thus making a swift comeback to life. His publication in 2014 on Functional outcome following a large head total hip arthroplasty is testimony to this ⁽¹²⁾.

Dr. Agarwala’s breakthrough published research on Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in Arthroplasty surgery,⁽¹³⁾ the first in India, has been published several times and focuses on avoiding potentially fatal complications of surgery. The research provides an insight into the prevention of DVT, which is prevalent in India, but lacked medical cognizance. Now, with this research work, there is understanding on the method of reducing the incidence and morbidity of DVT in patients undergoing joint replacement.

Auto transfusion (use of patient’s own blood)⁽¹⁴⁾ and the use of Recombinant Human Erythropoietin reduces the need for blood transfusion in hip and knee replacements⁽¹⁵⁾ is another topic of medical record as shown by Dr Agarwala in recent times.

His articles on an alternative method of management for young arthritics using the BOX OSTEOTOMY technique⁽¹⁶⁾ have been published internationally.

Personal interests and achievements
Dr. Agarwala conducts several teaching programmes for the Orthopaedic fraternity spread across India. Under his chairmanship, there is DNB training in Orthopaedics recognised by the National Board, where post graduate students in Orthopaedics are trained at Hinduja Hospital.

He was the Chairman of the AO Foundation Western India Chapter ⁽¹⁷⁾ for teaching of fracture management, and the Hinduja Hospital has been recognized as an AO Centre of excellence since 2009 (one of the 5 in the country then), where complex trauma can be treated on par with the facilities available at the best centers in the world.

His dissertation for the M.Ch.Orth examination,⁽¹⁸⁾ 1985, University of Liverpool on nerve conduits were used instead of nerve grafts was awarded the Norman Roberts Medal at the examination. He has original papers in the British Journal of Plastic Surgery.⁽¹⁹⁾

Dr. Agarwala has been associated with the P.D. Hinduja National Hospital in Mumbai (a charitable trust hospital) for almost 30 years. His personal beliefs and commitment to charity mirror the charity performed by the hospital and the Hinduja Foundation.

He has over 41 publications in peer reviewed journals worldwide in various sub-specialties ⁽²⁰⁾.

It is a culmination of his academic & clinical excellence, surgical skill and basic research that Dr. Sanjay Agarwala has successfully blended the best of the East and the West to bring world class surgical facilities for the benefit of Indian patients.