Dr. Parag Shah, Consultant Surgeon, Wadia Hospital, is a Senior Surgeon in Mumbai and has experience of more than 30 years in the field of surgery. He has many international publications on daycare surgeries and offers the latest and best techniques for adult male circumcision. Also, he has devised a new technique for Varicocele Surgery.

Wadia Hospital, Mumbai, carrying forward the philanthropic tradition of the Wadia Family. The Wadia Hospitals provide world-class services for Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, making affordable healthcare accessible to people from every section of society because we believe that each person is entitled to a happy and healthy life.

25 years of Journey

Dr. Parag Shah shares his experience, "It's a mixed feeling. While you are proud of your achievements for which you have sacrificed a lot of time, money and effort, the general behavior and expectations from patients too have changed quite a lot in the past three decades. So one needs to constantly adapt and reinvent", he says.

Low Male Infertility in India

Dr. Parag sheds light on the subject, "Although the occurrence of male infertility is increasing, the awareness about men as a cause of infertility is not increasing at the same pace. The societal construct has misguided people to believe that a man is normal if he can sexually perform and ejaculate. If men can sexually perform & ejaculate and after that if the woman is unable to conceive, usually the woman is blamed for infertility. One has to realize that the cause of infertility can be either or both partners and that "Being capable to perform sexually" doesn't mean that the man is fertile and has healthy and sufficient sperms. In fact, sexual potency has no relation with fertility potential. Any couple facing fertility issues should not just consult a gynecologist, but should also have the male partner examined both clinically and by lab investigations," he says.

Adult Male Circumcision

Dr. Parag explains, "Yes I do a lot of circumcision for adult men. Awareness about sexual health and hygiene is still very poor. Usually, in childhood, the problem of Phimosis is neglected. Parents may not be aware about it or if made aware, they feel that it is unnecessary, have religious concerns or feel it is a risky surgery for a child. Once the child reaches adulthood and becomes sexually aware, he realizes the problem and seeks a solution. Unlike in a child, an adult, especially a young adult, the organ is very active and dynamic, hence post circumcision surgery healing can be tricky and needs specific solution and technique," he says.

Myths on Risks and Complications in a Surgery

Dr. Parag informs, "The risk most of the time is associated with the patient’s overall fitness level. Are they living a sedentary lifestyle? Do they have diabetes, asthma, hypertension, cardiac problems, allergies or other medical conditions? Before surgery, the physician usually gives a certificate of fitness where most of the above-mentioned issues are ruled out or are treated and controlled. Surgery is a stress to your body and if you are fit, with modern science and technology there is negligible risk. Yes, individual surgeries, depending on the complexity, do have associated complications, but they are rare in the hands of experienced surgeons," he says.

Future Trends in Surgery

"Technology is omnipresent. It is playing a great role even in fields like surgery. Changes are occurring rapidly and can be divided into two phases. 

BC: Before COVID, we had advances like a laser, laparoscopy, minimal access surgery, robotics etc. But these were sophisticated, costly and Operator/ Surgeon dependent. 

AD: After COVID, there will be increased use and advancement of digital technology and social mass media. 

As of today most of our consultation including our first interaction with our patients is through our Tele-Consultation App or Whats App. The patient have themselves approached us by searching the web and getting information from our website. Word of mouth reference is replaced by ‘Stars of online reviews.’ Post Surgery most follow-up is done through Audio, Video, Photo Sharing and Chat. While all this is very convenient for the patient, the surgeon is more readily available virtually, 24x7. This may lead to increased stress to the Surgeon due to loss of personal time. Many times the surgeon’s personal interaction with the patient is done on the same day as the surgery. All pre and post-surgery evaluations and assessment are done through digital communication channels," explains Dr. Parag.

(Edited by Sana Khan)