Dr Praveen Jhanwar
Pediatric Surgeon
Among the numerous pediatric surgeons who’re currently operational across India, one individual who stands-out through his profound subject matter expertise is Dr Praveen Jhanwar. Having completed his MBBS from Government Medical College, Miraj, Dr Praveen took-up MS in General Surgery from Banaras Hindu University and then MCH in Pediatric Surgery from Lady Harding Medical College, New Delhi. Today, working as the Pediatric Surgeon at Pacific Medical College & Hospital (PMCH), Udaipur, he possesses over a decade of surgical experience, including 12.5 years in pediatric and neonatal surgeries alone.
“During my initial days at PMCH, patients lacked the basic awareness about pediatric surgery and were unable to achieve the desired outcomes for our treatment. However, with the help of a few NGOs as well as periphery and referral doctors from PHCs, we educated them about various aspects of pediatric surgery and the importance of getting the child to the right doctor to avail better healthcare”, says Dr Praveen, explaining the challenges of its initial career days in Udaipur.
Key Areas of Specialization
As one of the most sought-after pediatric surgeons in the region, Dr Praveen specializes in performing a wide range of surgical procedures to patients aged 0-18 years across gastro-intestinal, neurology, oncology, pediatric urology, and many more
areas. Some of the noteworthy conditions that he provides treatment to include hernia, undescended testis, circumcision, neonatal/congenital anomalies such as anorectal malformations, tracheo-esophageal fistula, intestinal atresias & diaphragmatic hernia, hypospadias, obstructive uropathy (PUJ obstruction), vesico-ureteric reflux, posterior urethral valve, and urinary calculi, to name a few.
A noteworthy highlight of Dr Praveen’s tenure at PMCH so far has been his ability to deliver and treat premature and IUGR babies who are born to mothers just over halfway through their pregnancies and weigh only 500-750gm. Handling such cases where babies have only a 50 percent survival chance and require supportive care due to severely impaired functioning of their critical body parts is challenging, but Dr Praveen has successfully operated on such 13-15 under weight babies so far, achieving an 80 percent survival rate.
Patient-centricity as the Core
A highlight of Dr Praveen is his dedication towards delivering the best quality care to each of his baby patients. Not only is he available 24x7 to treat any emergency cases, but also ensures that there is a team of pediatricians available at the institute round the clock. Further, Dr Praveen attributes his success as a pediatric surgeon to the top-notch training that he received at Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital. Renowned Consultants there such as Dr Rajiv Chadha, Dr S Roy Choudhury, Dr Partap Sing Yadav and Dr Archana not only helped him hone his surgical skills, but also mentored him on ways to deal with parents & their families, staying calm when any complications arise, and even persuade the patients to engage in long-term follow-ups.
“A pregnant woman was diagnosed with her unborn kid having abdominal wall defect or gastroschisis, which was confirmed during her C-section. Once delivered, we had to simultaneously operate the baby alongside its mother in the same OT. Today, the baby is healthy and completed four years. Another memorable instance was when we delivered a 520gm baby which was conceived after 27 years of marriage through IVF, but developed intestinal obstruction within a few days of birth. With conservative management failing, we had no other choice but to operate it. Not only was the baby in NICU for 117 days, but it is now five years old and leading a healthy life”, Dr Praveen proudly asserts.
Star-studded Career Journey
Having performed 3800+ pediatric surgeries till date, Dr Praveen has been felicitated by a renowned central minister for his contributions to pediatric surgery and even received numerous awards & recognitions from local bodies such as Rajasthan Patrika, Dainik Bhaskar and Mewar Gaurav Samman. Currently mentoring MS General Surgery residents, he plans to establish an MCh program as well at PMCH to train 2-3 more pediatric surgeons, expanding the institute’s services. Additionally, he also aspires to increase the number of OTs within the institute and have a separate floor dedicated specifically to pediatric surgery cases as well. Most importantly, Dr Praveen is excited and looking forward to meet Dr Ashwin Pimpalwar, the renowned pediatric surgeon from US who’ll be part of the 7-day workshop which is to happen at PMCH in February next year.
A noteworthy highlight of Dr Praveen’s tenure at PMCH so far has been his ability to deliver and treat premature and IUGR babies who are born to mothers just over halfway through their pregnancies and weigh only 500-750gm. Handling such cases where babies have only a 50 percent survival chance and require supportive care due to severely impaired functioning of their critical body parts is challenging, but Dr Praveen has successfully operated on such 13-15 under weight babies so far, achieving an 80 percent survival rate.
A noteworthy highlight of Dr Praveen’s career has been his ability to deliver & treat premature and IUGR babies born to mothers just over halfway through their pregnancies and weigh only 500- 750gm
Patient-centricity as the Core
A highlight of Dr Praveen is his dedication towards delivering the best quality care to each of his baby patients. Not only is he available 24x7 to treat any emergency cases, but also ensures that there is a team of pediatricians available at the institute round the clock. Further, Dr Praveen attributes his success as a pediatric surgeon to the top-notch training that he received at Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital. Renowned Consultants there such as Dr Rajiv Chadha, Dr S Roy Choudhury, Dr Partap Sing Yadav and Dr Archana not only helped him hone his surgical skills, but also mentored him on ways to deal with parents & their families, staying calm when any complications arise, and even persuade the patients to engage in long-term follow-ups.
“A pregnant woman was diagnosed with her unborn kid having abdominal wall defect or gastroschisis, which was confirmed during her C-section. Once delivered, we had to simultaneously operate the baby alongside its mother in the same OT. Today, the baby is healthy and completed four years. Another memorable instance was when we delivered a 520gm baby which was conceived after 27 years of marriage through IVF, but developed intestinal obstruction within a few days of birth. With conservative management failing, we had no other choice but to operate it. Not only was the baby in NICU for 117 days, but it is now five years old and leading a healthy life”, Dr Praveen proudly asserts.
Star-studded Career Journey
Having performed 3800+ pediatric surgeries till date, Dr Praveen has been felicitated by a renowned central minister for his contributions to pediatric surgery and even received numerous awards & recognitions from local bodies such as Rajasthan Patrika, Dainik Bhaskar and Mewar Gaurav Samman. Currently mentoring MS General Surgery residents, he plans to establish an MCh program as well at PMCH to train 2-3 more pediatric surgeons, expanding the institute’s services. Additionally, he also aspires to increase the number of OTs within the institute and have a separate floor dedicated specifically to pediatric surgery cases as well. Most importantly, Dr Praveen is excited and looking forward to meet Dr Ashwin Pimpalwar, the renowned pediatric surgeon from US who’ll be part of the 7-day workshop which is to happen at PMCH in February next year.
