Vithal Nagesh Shirodkar

V. N. Shirodkar or Vithal Nagesh Shirodkar (27 April 1899 – 7 March, 1971)^[1] was an Indian obstetrician and gynaecologist, hailing from the State of Goa.

Biography

Shirodkar was born in Shiroda, Goa. He belonged to the Kalawantin community (now known as Gomantak Maratha Samaj in Goa).^[2] After he graduated from Grant Medical College, he went to United Kingdom and obtained his Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1931. He was associated with Professor J. Chassar Moir, Victor Lack, J.D.Murdoch and others.

He returned to India and joined J.J.Group of Hospitals in 1935 as Honorary Obstetrician and Gynecologist. He was an inimitable teacher and innovator. His most widely known contribution is Cervical cerclage the "Shirodkar cerclage". His other contributions include operations for prolapse repair, tuboplasty and creation of neovagina. He published widely and took a keen interest in social medicine.

He was member of the Shantilal Shah Committee on Abortions and also established the Family Planning Association of India.

He was honored by the Government of India with Padma Bhushan in 1960 and Padma Vibhushan in 1971.^[3]

Shirodkar Cerclage

A Shirodkar cerclage is very similar to the standard cervical cerclage, but the sutures pass through the walls of the cervix so they're not exposed. This type of cerclage is less common and technically more difficult than a McDonald, and is thought (though not proven) to reduce the risk of infection. The Shirodkar procedure sometimes involves a permanent stitch around the cervix which will not be removed and therefore a Caesarean section will be necessary to deliver the baby. The Shirodkar technique was first described by Dr. V. N. Shirodkar in Bombay in 1955.^[4] In 1963, Dr. Shirodkar traveled to NYC to perform the procedure at the New York Hospital of Special Surgery; the procedure was successful, and the baby lived to adulthood.

References

1. Powell JL (2008). "Powell's Pearls: Vithal Nagesh Shirodkar, MD (1899 - 1971)". Journal of Pelvic Medicine & Surgery. 14: 75–76. doi:10.1097/SPV.0b013e31816543bb.
2. Goa world book review 5 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine
3. "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.^{[dead link]}
4. Jena, S.K., Samal, S., Behera, B.K. and AIIMS, B., 2015. Cervical cerclage in modern obstetrics: A review. Health, 3(1).[1]

• Shirodkar V.N. Contributions to Obstetrics and Gynaecology. London: E & S Livingstone Ltd., 1960.
• Dastur, Adi E.; Tank, P.D. (January 2008), "Milestones: Dr. Vithal Nagesh Shirodkar and the Cervical Cerclage" (PDF), Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology of India, 58 (1): 22–23^{[dead link]}