Vithal Nagesh Shirodkar

V. N. Shirodkar or Vithal Nagesh Shirodkar (April 27, 1899 - 1971) was a reputed Indian Obstetrician and Gynecologist.

Brief life

Shirodkar was born in Shiroda, Goa. After 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 popular contribution is Cervical cerclage known as "Shirodkar cerclage". His other contributions include operations for prolapse repair, tuboplasty and creation of neovagina. He published widely and took 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.

Shirodkar Cerclage

In 1955, Dr. Shirodkar described the Cervical cerclage operation, a surgery which stood for long time and used many surgeons in India even today. He described his operation details at the International platform in Paris in 1951 and in Naples in 1956.

References

• 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, http://medind.nic.in/jaq/t08/i1/jaqt08i1p22.pdf 
• Powell, John L (January/February 2008), "Powell's Pearls: Vithal Nagesh Shirodkar, MD (1899 - 1971)", Journal of Pelvic Medicine & Surgery 14 (1): 75–76, doi:10.1097/SPV.0b013e31816543bb, http://journals.lww.com/jpelvicsurgery/Citation/2008/02000/Powell_s_Pearls__Vithal_Nagesh_Shirodkar,_MD.13.aspx