Ashok Rajgopal

Ashok Rajgopal is an Indian orthopaedic surgeon, credited with close to 18 ,000 Arthroscopic and over 35,000 Total Knee Arthroplasty surgeries and reported to be one of the most experienced in his field in India. He has also been awarded the Dr. BC Roy award by the Medical Council of India to "Recognize the Best Talents in Encouraging the Development of Specialties in Different Branches in Medicine" for 2014.

Biography Ashok Rajgopal was born on 30 September 1953, in Bengaluru, in the Indian state of Karnataka. He graduated in medicine (MBBS) from the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune University in 1974 and went for higher studies to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi from where he obtained Master of Surgery (MS), in 1978. This was followed by a stint of studies at the University of Liverpool and, in 1983, secured the degree of MCh. He is also a Fellow of International Medical Sciences Academy - FIMSA (1996) and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (2010).

Rajgopal did his internship at the Central Hospital of Northern Railways at New Delhi in 1975. He did his junior residency at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, after which he did his post-graduation in orthopedics there. From March 1979 to August 1980, he did his senior residency at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi. Thereafter, he continued his higher studies, followed by another senior residency at the Ormskirk General Hospital, Lancashire, United Kingdom, till 1985. and was serving as the Chairman of the Bone and Joint Institute, in the hospital. In July 2016, Dr. Ashok Rajgopal joined Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon and Fortis Escorts, Okhla as Executive Director and Chairman Fortis Bone and Joint Institute. In March 2019 Dr. Rajgopal took over as Group Chairman, Medanta Institute of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Orthopaedics, Medanta- The Medicity, Gurugram.

Achievements Rajgopal, who specialises in Joint Replacement Surgery and Orthopaedic surgery of the knee joint, and compares favourably with any other surgeon in the world. It is reported that on realizing Gopichand's inability to pay the fees, Rajgopal, a sports enthusiast, and asked for an All England title in return. Gopichand went on to win the All England Badminton Championships in 2001 and, years later, said that Rajgopal was one of the first persons he thought of after winning the championship point against Chen Hong.

Rajgopal has been a speaker at several international and national conferences and has been an invited speaker at the Harvard Knee Course in 2013. He has also chaired several orthopaedics conferences both in India and abroad. He has been involved in the teaching and training of young Orthopaedic surgeons from all over the world. He is also on the editorial board of the KSSTA (Knee Surgery Sports Traumatology and Arthroscopy) and is a reviewer for the JBJS (British Volume), both well known and widely read Journals of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Awards and recognitions Rajgopal is a recipient of the Padmashri award from the Government of India, which was bestowed upon him, in 2014, for his services to the field of medicine. Life Member - Indian Arthroplasty Association Founder President and former Secretary - Asia Pacific Arthroplasty Society Member - International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS) Member - Indian Medical Sciences Academy

He holds permanent registration with the General Medical Council (UK).