Suraj Manjunath 
All the hospitals I trained in during my days of surgical residency had a common feature – an altar of Lord Ganesha. Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, where I did my surgical oncology residence has a full-fledged large Ganesha temple in its premises. We residents prayed or meditated there from time to time, seeking support … Read more
Today, a student of mine shared this throwback picture from 2013 – during my days of professorship at St. John’s Medical College Hospital. It shows myself and my faculty colleague Dr Shivakumar K sitting, while standing behind us are our students at that time. It is my pride that all our students have gone on … Read more
Recently the Association of Medical Oncologists of India (AMOI) conducted a meeting to discuss and understand recent developments in the understanding and treatment of cancer of the rectum. I was privileged to be invited in my role as a surgical oncologist to share my views, especially regarding the newer trends in the surgical treatment of … Read more
Today, at hospital, I was invited to a special and unique event – the Independence Day Celebration of the Republic of Maldives. The event was organized by Manipal Hospitals to make our patients from Maldives – currently 36 of them taking treatment here, and their families, feel a sense of being at home. The gathering … Read more
Mrs Tulsi came to consult me on a Monday morning – “Doc, do you remember me?” It took me a moment to recollect her – “How are you Mrs Tulsi? It’s been a long time since I saw you. How is your mother-in-law?” “Oh, she passed away in 2020 due to COVID. She was 89 … Read more
A quarter of a century ago, when I started my surgical residency training, surgical technology was in its infancy, at least in our part of the world. At the government (public) hospital where I worked, the only equipment that required electricity were the overhead operating lights. If a senior surgeon was performing a difficult operation, … Read more
Nurses are the heart and soul of medicine. Their tireless contribution to patient care is invaluable. May 12th, International Nurses’ Day, marks the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. In 2023, the International Council of Nurses launched a global campaign around the theme “Our Nurses, Our Future”, about which you can … Read more
How far will your doctor go for you – some, it appears, will even go even halfway across the world! Meet Dr. Vokwelly Evehe, a senior surgeon from Cameroon. When he advised his patient and friend of many years that he would require a complex surgery not done in Cameroon and would have to go … Read more
As surgeons, we train and hone our learning and skills throughout our career. We strive to do our best to meet the needs of our patients who put their lives in our hands. At different times, our roles are different – it could be trying to make an accurate diagnosis, coming up with a complex treatment … Read more
This article discusses the concept of 5-year survival in cancer, and addresses some common misinterpretations. Early on in my career, I was counseling Mrs T, a woman with stage I breast cancer. I explained the diagnosis and its implications, laid out the plan of treatment and then told her the prognosis – “You have a … Read more