Soonawalla’s specialty

Dr Darius F. Soonawalla received the Dr Dholakia Award for his pioneering work in minimally invasive joint replacement surgery at the Advances in Hip and Knee Replacement Conference held in New Delhi on February 1, 2008, as per a write-up received by Parsiana. Consulting orthopedic surgeon at Bombay’s Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Breach Candy Hospital and Research Centre and Saifee Hospital, Soonawalla also serves as honorary orthopedic surgeon at the B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital and Masina Hospital.

For this latest honor Soonawalla was selected by US based world renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr Chitranjan Ranawat who had been flown in to operate on former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee a few years ago, reveals the press release. During his oration after receiving the award Soonawalla elaborated on his technique of minimally invasive hip replacement, for which he has designed and developed several surgical instruments. He has also performed several demonstration surgeries, including one with Dr Jean Pierre Videlain (designer of the Corail Hip System) from France, which was telecast for the benefit of other orthopedic surgeons, the press note adds.

Dr Darius Soonawalla (extreme left) receiving award from Dr Ranawat (right)

The write-up additionally informs that minimally invasive surgery (MIS) can also be successfully used on other joints, such as partial knee replacements. Recovery is miraculous, as Neeta Masani discovered. Three years ago the 61-year-old housewife underwent total replacement for one knee and was incapacitated for weeks by a 20 cm wound. With the other knee she opted for MIS. "This side hurts far less, the scar is only 10 cm and I am already walking!” she exclaimed a day after the procedure. Unlike during the earlier operation, Masani did not require a blood transfusion, and with only four days in hospital the damage to her wallet was also much less, the press release includes the case history.

Soonawalla puts it succinctly: "In short, surgical trauma is reduced to a minimum. Besides, standard post operative complications such as infection and dislocation are more rare.” This is especially favorable for elderly patients. Even so, for the most part joint replacements continue to be done by the conventional method through large incisions as most surgeons are unfamiliar with MIS, explains Soonawalla, who is confident that in the coming years the new sophisticated technique is sure to revolutionize the entire field of surgery.

An alumnus of the Cathedral and John Connon School, Jai Hind College and Basantsingh Institute of Science and Topiwala National Medical College and B. Y. L. Nair Hospital in Bombay, Soona­walla is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow, Scotland, having qualified with the highest rank in the college. He had earlier won the A. K. Talwalkar Prize for his MS in orthopedics at the University of Bombay. As part of his early professional experience Soonawalla worked at the East Glamor­gan Hospital and the Prince of Wales Orthopedic Hospital, both in Cardiff, UK, informs his curriculum vitae.

A faculty member and regular participant in national and international conferences, Soonawalla has often gone as an observer to hospitals in the UK and USA to update himself on the latest techniques. In his special field of minimally invasive joint replacement he has performed a number of revision joint replacements and has experience in the Midas Rex system, being the first person in Bombay to perform minimally invasive total hip and knee replacement, which is a very newly introduced technique internationally, using instruments which he himself has designed, according to the press release. He has also trained in computer navigated joint replacement in Australia.