Sunday, November 8, 2009

Indian doctors: Hall of fame - Part 1: Dr Chittaranjan S Ranawat, knee surgeon

By Syed Akbar
Remember the orthopaedic surgeon, who had come down all the way from the USA in 2000 to operate upon then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee? Meet Dr Chittaranjan S Ranawat, the world renowned orthopaedic surgeon, researcher, developer and inventor. He holds half a dozen patents for his technological inventions that had made knee replacement surgeries quite an easy task for surgeons everywhere.
Dr Ranawat hails from Sarwania in Madhya Pradesh. Last year he developed rotating platform flexion, which has been hailed as a major technological advancement in knee replacement surgeries. The product, made
from superior plastics, is ideal for non-obese people. It does not wear out easily and ensures implant stability.
"I am dedicated to research and development of new methods to diagnose and treat arthritis from all causes. My goal has been to improve existing total joint technology and the knowledge of the disease process," points out Dr Ranawat.

A clinical professor of orthopaedic surgery at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Dr Ranawat also doubles up as the director of Ranawat Orthopaedic Center at Lenox Hill Hospital. His focus areas have
been total hip and knee replacement and primary and revision total joint surgery.
He established Ranawat Foundation in 1986 to carry on his research activity. He has punished 92 research works on hip, 89 works on knee and more than 90 research publications on other topics including hand, wrist, shoulder and cervical spine.
Explaining how his research has been helping patients relieve themselves of the knee pain, he says "one of our most recent projects involves pain reduction after joint replacement surgery using a series of intra-operative
injections into the soft tissue with selected medications to control post-operative pain."
Dr Ranawat also focuses on the use of MRI scans as a non-invasive tool to detect wear-induced implant failure. At present patients are exposed to the risk of radiation using X-rays and CT scans to detect the failure. "By studying the implants themselves, we hope to design the best possible hip and knee implant for maximum mobility, function and durability," he adds.

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