Reba McEntire’s enchantingly delightful thought, ‘To thrive in life, you need three bones. A wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone” humorously depicts the vitality of bones and related parts to the human body. On the other hand, any injury, illness, or weakness in the bones means agony, discomfort, pain, and ache. Accidents are meant to happen, and when they do, they mostly impact our bones resulting in fractures or injuries.
Orthopaedic surgeons are excellent bone doctors, as they care for your bone’s health, heal them after any injury, and give you the confidence to function properly. In the league of these extraordinary surgeons, Dr Pranav Agrawal comes at the top. Dr Pranav, one of the best and most highly qualified orthopaedic surgeons, follows a considerate, compassionate, and empathetic approach while treating his patients.
Dr Pranav works as a Joint Replacement and Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Lilavati Hospital & Research Center, a premier tertiary care multispecialty hospital in Mumbai’s Queen of Suburbs – Bandra. It boasts 300+ beds, state-of-the-art medical & surgical facilities, power of many fields of super speciality under one roof and highly equipped operation theatres. It is a reputed Center of medical & surgical excellence.
Ventures of Medicine
Dr Pranav started his medical journey at Maharashtra University of Health Sciences by acquiring a degree of MBBS. Later, he pursued a Master’s in Orthopaedic from the prestigious Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai. He specialized in computer and robot-assisted knee and hip surgery at the Chonnam National University Hospital in South Korea.
He learned the craft of surgery from Professor Song, the then-president of the Asia Pacific Society of Knee Surgeons. Later, he polished his craft, trained with prominent Mumbai surgical teams, and started practising in the western suburbs of Mumbai.
Dedication and Practice: Key to Success
Talking about the secret of becoming one of the best orthopaedic surgeons in India, Dr Pranav says, “I stay dedicated to using cutting-edge technology in surgery while maintaining high standards of simple patient care and healing,” It is said that the most thorough way of learning is by teaching. Catering to this, he invests his valuable time in teaching younger surgeons and helping them hone their skills through the hospital and international teaching programs.
While emphasizing the importance of continuous practice, Dr Pranav says, “Practice is a continuous journey. It only gets better with time. The destination is the same, but it should always look better than what it did yesterday.”
Dr Pranav also serves in different honorary positions. He holds membership in various basic and speciality doctors’ associations, including the Bombay Orthopaedic Society, Indian Orthopaedic Association, Indian Society of Hip & Knee Surgeons, Indian Arthroplasty Association, Indian Medical Association, Local Medical Associations, etc.
Game Changer: Man + Machines
Robotics in orthopaedics today is a representative of progress over many years, and it ensures highly accurate results, better healing, better movement, and lesser chances of patients requiring revisions. Additionally, Dr Pranav shares about the new member of the team, the Robot. “Our Robot assists us in knee replacement surgery and helps us achieve highly accurate alignment and superb balance of ligaments. Our patients overcome pain and deformity and return to a better quality of social, work & even sports life,” adds Dr Pranav.
Dr Pranav talks about Arthritis, a bone and joint disease that affects the human skeleton. Relating to the body and machines, he says that a skeleton’s function is governed by laws of physics and biomechanics, just like a machine. And hence, alignment, balance, weight distribution, lever arms, fulcrums and forces across joints must be restored for the good functioning of joints and bones.
Dr Pranav sheds light on the robotic arm and its AI software that helps doctors collect spatial data points during surgery. With this, they can calculate and surgically correct axes and alignments. The results are predictably within one standard deviation of the normal, giving high accuracy in alignment and the best range of movement.
“In terms of injury and fractures, there was a time in the ancient past when a human with a hip fracture was left behind as fodder for wild animals. The reason being that a human with a hip fracture could never walk” asserts Dr Pranav. Because of brilliant surgical inventions and metal tribology, doctors can replace broken hips with strong implants. These patients can attend swimming and football competitions. “We take pride in being able to offer cutting-edge technology and advancements in surgical treatments at affordable costs to all our patients while still maintaining our guiding principles,” reveals Dr Pranav with pride.
Opening Safety Doors to Patients
A considerate, compassionate and empathetic doctor like Dr Pranav always takes care of his patients’ requirements. Surgery and treatment of bone and joint pathology are a matter of maintaining standards and must be the best. Considering this, the team also meters the treatments to the patient’s needs and social and financial conditions.
The team also overcomes many challenges presented at an individual level by patients. It tries to take patients safely through internationally accepted high-standard treatment protocols. Moreover, some of Dr Pranav’s senior patients have no personal insurance, which curtails their ability to spend on certain treatments in certain hospitals.
In such cases, Dr Pranav and his team ambitiously solve the problem by offering quality treatments across various classes in smaller hospitals. Moreover, as a part of the integrative approach, they counsel patients to invest in medical insurance.
Some patients live on higher floors and do not have a lift facility. As it is difficult for them to climb up or down after surgeries, the team helps such patients logistically. It decreases their follow-up visits and ensures apt information about climbing up or down until they heal completely.
This unparalleled service does not limit itself to the Indian level. Patients from abroad who wish to undergo surgery from Dr Pranav and his team always get help with logistics, planning and detailed explanations of treatment. Cherry on the top, these patients are sometimes helped with Visa issues and medical travel.
“Arogyam Sarvadravye Sarvadaa”
This Sanskrit phrase means “Health in all its forms is Wealth, Always,” and with this guiding philosophy, Dr Pranav treats his patients. He usually deals with orthopaedic issues like Congenital disabilities, which are present in childhood, young and mid-adulthood. He often treats problems that could be painful and restrictive on days when people should rest and spend time on themselves. Quite frequently, he treats all these types in different generations from the same family.
Along with therapeutic treatments, he offers a lot of preventive treatments too. Moreover, he talks about patient awareness and education modules where patients may be aware of healthy habits, red flags and possibilities in treatment options. “Treatment is always aimed at restoration of previous abilities and also improvement in functional capabilities,” says Dr Pranav.
What makes him Special?
Dr Pranav is indeed an exceptional orthopaedic surgeon and stands out in the fast-pacing race of doctors due to the following points:
*Specialized Knee and Hip Surgery: He specializes in surgery of the knee and hip, which includes arthroscopic ligament reconstructions, fracture fixations, partial joint replacements, Total joint replacements, and complex revisions.
*Going with the Technology: As the medical field always advances fast, he always stays abreast of all modern technologies and recently published research journals of international repute. He reads journals and contributes to medical research through conferences, case publications & teaching programs.
*Technically sound and empathetic: He offers robot-assisted accuracy to all patients and helps them walk better. Despite technological advancements, he does not forget how pain and deformity affect the patients and thus treats them with empathy and compassion.
Maker of a Healthy and Prosperous Community
“A healthy community leads to a prosperous country,” says Dr Pranav and for that, as an accomplished doctor, it is the responsibility to serve society and care for their wealthy health. He is an active Rotarian, an international organization dedicated to serving humankind through medical and non-medical initiatives.
Dr Pranav regularly conducts outreach programmes and diagnostic and therapeutic camps in rural areas. People in rural parts and tribal areas who don’t always get medical services from experts and at world-class hospitals should not be deprived of basic medical care. In such cases, world-class expertise can be brought to their doorstep through social service initiatives.
“Year after year, I conduct osteoporosis screening, diagnosis and treatment camps in rural areas, old age homes & even among urban population groups to improve their bone strength,” says Dr Pranav. Moreover, Dr Pranav has been thriving with numerous initiatives for old-age patients.
Adults with Osteoporosis may suffer from a major fracture even after a slight accident, and they must undergo lengthy surgeries and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, this process causes a loss of savings and precious time at this age.
Dr Pranav’s treatments provide relief in these cases, and according to him, Osteoporosis is treatable through simple oral medications, and a few fractures can also be prevented.
Winning the Hearts with Compassion and Empathy
It is extremely important to understand the pain and emotions of patients, for aspirants who wish to excel in any medical field must know that medical procedures and medicines only cure at a physical level. For patients to completely recover, warm comfort from doctors is always necessary. “However good your skills may be, remember that the patient is a human being distraught with pain and discomfort. They will look up to you to relieve them of disease. Let compassion and empathy guide your surgical temperament always,” says Dr Pranav.
In his advice to budding professionals from the orthopaedic industry Dr Pranav says, “Locomotion which is our ability to move from one place to another, gives us our inherent advantage over plants and many other animals. So does the dexterity in fine movements of our fingers. Both these are the first victims of Orthopaedic disease. Restoration of pain-free ambulation is paramount for good & successful treatment, as is a return to fine dexterity, which signifies the return to work and hobbies.”
He also signifies the importance of keeping in touch with modern technologies and updated information. Staying updated with the latest techniques and surgical research helps surgeons give the best in surgical and non-surgical treatments. While acquiring new things, following the foundations and principles of orthopaedics and surgery is unwavering.
Taking Healthcare to the Next Level
A hospital and its service expansion are important to serve the community better, and an excellent expansion plan revolves around patient care, staff, medicines, and collaborations. To offer services to every needy patient, Dr Pranav envisions upgrading the hospital’s operations in the future.
“Vertical and lateral expansions always follow the setting of deep foundations,” admits Dr Pranav, who asserts that his team is looking forward to offering patients a wide range of specialist consultants and treatments under one roof.
This concept is around the corner, and it will help people find all facilities and cares in the same place, and they don’t have to wander. Moreover, setting up satellite clinics is also on the cards; these clinics will provide standardized trustworthy care.
Dr Pranav’s commitment to revolutionizing the orthopaedic sector with excellence has set a new standard for medical practice. Through his remarkable surgical skills, compassionate care, and dedication to advancing the field, he continues to inspire and shape the future of orthopaedics, leaving a lasting impact on the healthcare industry as a whole.
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