Department of General Surgery

Overview & Historical Legacy

• Inauguration: The first dedicated, full-fledged Operation Theatre was built in 1969 following the arrival of Dr. A. V. Choudhrie after completing his surgical training in the United Kingdom.

• Pioneering Milestones (1970s): Early adoption of advanced interventions, including the first "Commando" head and neck oncological resection, the hospital's first total hip replacement (1970), closed mitral valvotomies, and early thoracic procedures.

• Current Volume: Now one of Padhar Hospital's highest-volume clinical departments, performing nearly 1,000 surgical procedures annually at subsidized, rural-accessible rates under the leadership of Dr. Rajiv Choudhrie.

Clinical Subsections & Core Surgical Scope

1. Emergency, Trauma & Acute Care Surgery

• Acute Abdominal Emergencies: Emergency interventions for intestinal obstruction, perforated peptic/duodenal ulcers, acute cholecystitis, and appendicitis.

• Trauma Care: Surgical stabilization and management of severe abdominal trauma, thoracic injuries, and traumatic brain/head injuries.

2. Surgical Oncology (Cancer Surgery)

As a regional cancer referral center, the department performs complex tumor resections and lymphadenectomies:

• Head & Neck: Oral cavity, pharyngeal, and composite ("Commando") resections.

• Gastrointestinal & Hepatobiliary: Esophageal, gastric, colorectal, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic malignancies.

• Breast & Endocrine: Modified radical mastectomies, breast conservation, and thyroid/endocrine tumor surgeries.

• Genitourinary & Soft Tissue: Kidney, bladder, and testicular tumors, along with extensive soft-tissue sarcomas.

3. Urology

• Endourology & Stone Management: Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL), cystoscopy, and ureteric stone removals.

• Prostatic Interventions: Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) for benign and malignant prostatic enlargement.

4. Diagnostic & Therapeutic Endoscopy

• Upper & Lower GI: Upper GI Endoscopy (UGIE), flexible sigmoidoscopy, and full colonoscopy.

• Advanced Interventional Procedures: Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG tube placement) and endoscopic esophageal stenting for malignant strictures.

• Airway & Laryngeal Diagnostics: Direct Laryngoscopy (DL scopy) and flexible/rigid bronchoscopy.

5. Minimally Invasive (Laparoscopic) & Paediatric Surgery

• Routine laparoscopic procedures (laparoscopic cholecystectomy, appendicectomy) reducing postoperative recovery time and pain.

• General surgical management tailored for infants and children.

Specialized Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

The department features advanced capabilities in restoring form, function, and aesthetics across non-visceral structures (scalp, face, facial bones, chest wall, abdominal wall, external genitalia, and extremities).

1. Cleft Lip & Palate Care (Smile Train Partner)

• Established in collaboration with visiting maxillofacial and plastic surgeons from Germany and Switzerland.

• Formal partnership with Smile Train International established in 2002, delivering 100% free-of-cost surgical corrections for thousands of children with unilateral/bilateral cleft lip and cleft palate.

2. Maxillofacial & Craniofacial Trauma

• Comprehensive stabilization and anatomical reduction of complex, high-velocity facial fractures using standard AO rigid internal fixation techniques (preserving airway, visual, and cerebral integrity).

3. Reconstructive Microsurgery & Limb Replantation

• Oncological Defect Reconstruction: Microvascular free tissue transfers to restore anatomy after major cancer resections.

• Microvascular Limb Replantation: Re-attachment of severed extremities and digits using operative microscopy (with established cold-ischemia transport protocols: dry part in clean polyethylene bag immersed in an ice-water slurry).

• Microvascular Tubal Recanalization: Precision microsurgical reversal of tubal ligation.

4. Burns, Hand Surgery & Wound Care

• Acute surgical management of burn wounds and post-burn scar contracture releases with local/distant skin flaps.

• Specialized hand surgery for tendon, nerve, and structural injuries.

5. Aesthetic & Cosmetic Surgery

• Facial Aesthetics: Rhinoplasty, Rhytidectomy (face lift), and Blepharoplasty (eyelid correction).

• Body Contouring & Breast: Abdominoplasty ("tummy tuck"), Liposuction, Reduction Mammaplasty, and Breast Augmentation.