India has long been a land of extraordinary human achievement, and nowhere is that more evident than in the field of medical sciences. The land that produced Sushruta and Charaka definitely didn’t stop at these two medical prodigies. Various medical practitioners and expert surgeons have time and again proved India’s mettle in this domain. And the India Book of Records has documented some of the most fascinating records set by some of the most mind-blowing doctors and medical institutions of this age.
We have records from a surgeon performing bilateral knee replacement on the heaviest patient, to a neurosurgeon extracting a brain tumour heavier than most newborns. Advanced healthcare in India continues to push the bar of what is possible. Here is a closer look at five mind-blowing successful complex surgery stories officially recognised by the India Book of Records that showcase the extraordinary abilities of the Indian medical fraternity.
Partial Bilateral Knee Replacement on India's Heaviest Patient
In the realm of orthopaedic surgery, body weight is one of the most critical variables a surgeon must account for. High body mass increases surgical complexity, risk of complications, and the physical challenge of exposure during an operation. This is why what Dr Amyn Rajani, a Mumbai-based joint replacement specialist, accomplished in November 2025 is nothing short of astonishing.
Dr Amyn Rajani with his patient Laxman Sangamlal Pardeshi
Dr Rajani performed a partial bilateral knee replacement surgery on the heaviest patient. He performed this surgery on a 52-year-old who weighed 128.85 kilograms. The patient had been suffering from severe medical compartment osteoarthritis, leaving him in chronic pain with severely restricted mobility. Dr Rajani took up the daunting task of operating on him. He successfully performed the surgery at Saifee Hospital on November 21, 2025.
This record stands as a testament to what clinical precision and surgical courage can achieve.
Heaviest Brain Tumour Surgically Removed from a Male Patient
Imagine living with a mass growing inside and out of your skull for years, eventually becoming heavier than a newborn child. That was the reality for the patient at the centre of one of India Book of Records’ most dramatic medical recognitions– the surgical removal of the heaviest brain tumour from a male patient.
Dr Saraj Kumar Singh, an Associate Professor and Neurosurgeon at AIIMS Patna, along with his team of assisting doctors, successfully removed a brain tumour weighing 2.280 kilograms from a 50-year-old male patient on November 22, 2021. The massive tumour measured 9.44 x 9.44 x 5.51 inches and was extracted in a complex operation lasting 3 hours and 16 minutes, a feat that was officially confirmed as a record in May, 2024.
A record of this nature underscores the growing capabilities of neurosurgical centres across India, not just in metropolitan hubs but in institutions like AIIMS Patna, which serves patients from some of India’s most medically underserved regions.
Total Knee Replacement Surgery on the Oldest Patient
Age is a constant consideration in surgical medicine. As the body ages, anaesthetic risks multiply, healing slows, and the margin for error narrows. Performing total knee replacement on an elderly patient demands not just surgical skill but extraordinary clinical judgement. And Vivekanand General Hospital in Dharwad (Hubballi), Karnataka, earned its place in the India Book of Records by doing exactly this with impeccable precision.
The hospital set the record for conducting a successful total knee replacement surgery on the oldest patient. A team of competent orthopaedic surgeons led by Dr Virendra Bhasme successfully performed a total knee replacement surgery (TKR) on an elderly male patient. The patient, who was born on June 19, 1924, was 100 years, 6 months and 28 days of age as on January 16, 2025, when this successful surgery was performed on him.
This feat required a multidisciplinary team working in close coordination across surgical, anaesthetic, and post-operative care domains. Total knee replacement, or total knee arthroplasty, is already considered a major surgery; performing it on an elderly patient of record-setting age amplifies every challenge associated with the procedure.
Largest Adrenal Myelolipoma Treated with Laparoscopic Surgery
Adrenal myelolipoma is a rare benign tumour of the adrenal glands, typically asymptomatic and small in size. The vast majority of these tumours are under five centimetres in diameter. When they grow larger, surgery becomes a necessity, but it is also a long-held convention that laparoscopic (keyhole) removal is contraindicated once the tumour exceeds a certain size threshold. This surgical orthodoxy was shattered by an Indian team that treated adrenal myelolipoma using laparoscopic surgery, earning a record recognised by the India Book of Records.
Dr P. Vedamurthy Reddy and his team set the record for treating the largest adrenal myelolipoma with laparoscopic surgery. On October 4, 2021, the team at the Department of Urology and Kidney Transplant, Narayana Medical College and Hospital, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, performed a critical surgery on a 46-year-old male patient on the adrenal gland, successfully removing the largest adrenal myelolipoma tumour measuring 13 cm through laparoscopy.
Oldest Person Operated for Inguinal Hernia
Inguinal hernia repair may be one of the most commonly performed surgeries in the world, but when the patient is among the oldest on record to undergo the procedure, it transforms into something far more complex. The India Book of Records has recognised the record for the oldest person operated successfully for an inguinal hernia by a doctor. This case tested the limits of geriatric surgery and anaesthetic management.
Dr Devi Shankar Malik, Director (General and Laparoscopic Surgery), Eternal Hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan, set the record for operating on the Oldest person for Inguinal Hernia successfully. He operated on a 103-year-old patient, Mr Tulsi Ram Sharma, for an inguinal hernia on December 23, 2024. The patient was discharged on the second day post-operation. The stitches were subsequently removed on the 7th post-operative day after he was declared ‘Fit-n-Fine’.
India’s Medical Brilliance- Documented, Celebrated, Inspired
These five records share a common thread. These are not records for the sake of records. Behind every IBR certification, there is a patient whose life was changed, a surgeon who refused to take the safer, less ambitious path, and a team that trusted each other when the stakes were high. The India Book of Records feels immensely proud while presenting the acumen of the marvellous Medical practitioners of India.
India is the home to some of the world’s finest surgeons, operating across specialities from neurosurgery to orthopaedics to minimally invasive laparoscopy. As the nation’s most trusted record-keeping institution, the India Book of Records continues to shine a light on these extraordinary practitioners who have saved lives and given a new lease of life to many.
How To Set A Medical Record?
If you or your institution has achieved a medical milestone that deserves national recognition, you simply have to follow the following steps:
Find your expertise: Decide in which field of medical sciences you or your institution would like to set a record.
Gather Evidence: Provide video evidence, photographs, and witness testimonials to support your claim.
Make It Official: Submit the Record Application Form and take your place among India Book of Records’ most remarkable medical records.
If you have already performed a surgery or made a life-altering discovery in the field of medical sciences, then let us help you bring your achievement to the notice of the entire nation and the world. Apply today!
