V. N. Shirodkar or Vithal Nagesh Shirodkar (27 April 1899 – 7 March 1971) was an Indian obstetrician and gynaecologist, hailing from the State of Goa.

Biography

Shirodkar was born in Shiroda, Goa. He belonged to the ''Kalawantin'' community (now known as Gomantak Maratha Samaj in Goa).Goa world book review
After he graduated from Grant Medical College, he went to

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

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 widely known contribution is Cervical cerclage the "Shirodkar cerclage". His other contributions include operations for prolapse repair, tuboplasty and creation of neovagina. He published widely and took a keen interest in

social medicine Social medicine is an interdisciplinary field that focuses on the profound interplay between socio-economic factors and individual health outcomes. Rooted in the challenges of the Industrial Revolution, it seeks to: # Understand how specific soci ...

. He was member of the Shantilal Shah Committee on

Abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...

s 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

A Shirodkar cerclage is very similar to the standard cervical cerclage, but the sutures pass through the walls of the cervix so they're not exposed. This type of cerclage is less common and technically more difficult than a McDonald, and is thought (though not proven) to reduce the risk of infection. The Shirodkar procedure sometimes involves a permanent stitch around the cervix which will not be removed and therefore a Caesarean section will be necessary to deliver the baby. The Shirodkar technique was first described by Dr. V. N. Shirodkar in Bombay in 1955.Jena, S.K., Samal, S., Behera, B.K. and AIIMS, B., 2015. Cervical cerclage in modern obstetrics: A review. Health, 3(1

/ref>

References

* Shirodkar V.N. Contributions to Obstetrics and Gynaecology. London: E & S Livingstone Ltd., 1960. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shirodkar, Vithal Nagesh Scientists from Goa Indian gynaecologists Indian obstetricians 1899 births 1971 deaths Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in medicine Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in medicine People from North Goa district Medical doctors from Goa 20th-century Indian surgeons