Formative years
I grew up in Indore which is in central part of India in a family of doctors. As a child, I keenly observed my father, and grandfather treat patients. Thus, becoming a doctor was in the blood. Medicine as a career was the obvious choice. As I grew, my passion for observation and thus clinical signs brought me close to Internal Medicine. However, destiny had something else written for me. I opted for a surgical branch and that too Orthopedics!
Dr. Chitranjan Singh Ranawat, (New York) was a regular visitor to Indore to meet his parents and family and also to visit our school, The Daly college.
Even as an orthopeadic trainee I made it a point to meet him regularly as frequently as possible. I would arrange his lectures in the Department of Orthopeadics, M.Y. Hospital, Indore. I recall having picked up ten technical tips when he operated on my father’s hand in the year 1983. He was an inspiring figure and invited me to New York after my post graduation.
During my final months of residency, I happened to listen to a lecture by Late Dr. BB Joshi, who was a pioneer in Hand Surgery. The lecture was the turning point in my life. I decided to pursue hand surgery as a career. That was year 1985.
In 1991, I returned to India and began practicing as a Hand Surgeon in Pune.At that time, Hand Surgery and Reconstructive Surgery were relatively new superspecialties in the city. I began my practice with a strong desire to restore function in patients with complex hand injuries and other conditions affecting the hand.
Hand Surgery
Educational Qualifications
Graduation
- Undergraduate degree: Gujarati Science College, Indore, MP, India (B.Sc. Part I, 1976)
- Medical school: Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, Indore, MP, India (1982)
Post Graduate Residency
- Department of Orthopaedics, Devi Ahilya Vishwa Vidyalaya (University of Indore)
- Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital, Indore, India (Master of Surgery, Orthopedics, 1985)
- Hand Surgery Residency, Dr. B.B. Joshi, Mumbai, India (Nov 1985 – Jun 1987)
Professional Timeline
- 1982: MBBS, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, Indore, India.
- 1985: MS Orthopaedics.
- 1985–1987: Hand Surgery Residency, Dr. B.B. Joshi, Mumbai, India
- 1987: International Hand Surgery training in Nancy, France.
- 1988: International Hand Surgery training in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
- Kleinert Institute, Louisville, USA: Advanced Hand Surgery training.
- Lausanne, Switzerland: Training with Dr. Algimantas Narakas.
- Taiwan: Training with Dr. David Chuang.
- Hong Kong: Training with Dr. P.C. Pho.
- 1991 onward: Continued clinical practice in India with a dedicated focus on Hand Surgery.
International Training & Fellowships
Dr. Pankaj Jindal pursued extensive international training and fellowship experience in Hand Surgery across France, the United States, Switzerland, Taiwan and Hong Kong, learning from internationally recognised hand surgeons and major centres of hand surgery.
France
- Nancy: Dr. Michon and Dr. Merle
- Strasbourg: Dr. Guy Foucher
- Paris: Dr. Alain Gilbert
United States
- Grand Rapids, Michigan: Dr. Alfred Swanson
- Kleinert Institute, Louisville: Dr. Harold Kleinert, Dr. Tsu-Min Tsai, Dr. Thomas Wolfe, Dr. Atasoy and Dr. Louis Shecker
- United States: Dr. Robert Ackland
- Hartford, Connecticut: Dr. Kirk Watson
- Los Angeles, California: Dr. Julio Telisnik
Switzerland
- Lausanne: Dr. Algimantas Narakas
Taiwan
- Taiwan: Dr. David Chuang
Hong Kong
- Hong Kong: Dr. P.C. Pho
Clinical Experience
- 35+ years of clinical experience in Hand Surgery
- 30,000+ surgeries performed
Areas of Clinical Expertise
- Hand trauma and complex hand injuries
- Microsurgery
- Nerve surgery
- Replantation and revascularisation
- Hand reconstruction
- Congenital hand deformities
- Paralysis reconstruction
- Complex reconstructive hand surgery
Beyond Surgery: Rehabilitation and Splinting
Successful hand surgery extends beyond the operating room. Early in his practice, Dr. Pankaj Jindal recognized that postoperative occupational therapy and rehabilitation were essential to achieving good functional outcomes, but these services were relatively limited at the time.
To address this need, he established a small splint workshop and began developing dynamic splints tailored to the requirements of his patients. These splints were designed to be effective and affordable and were provided to patients free of charge whenever required. This approach helped improve rehabilitation and follow-up while reducing the occurrence of stiffness and contractures.
This experience reinforced his belief that the goal of Hand Surgery extends beyond repairing an injury—it is ultimately about restoring meaningful function to the hand.
Surgical Innovation
Dr. Pankaj Jindal has also contributed to the development of surgical techniques and instruments in Hand Surgery. He designed a surgical instrument known as JESS, named in honour of his teacher, Dr. B.B. Joshi, a pioneer in Hand Surgery.
Landmark Replantation Surgery
In 1993, Dr. Pankaj Jindal was involved in the successful reattachment of a completely severed arm in an eight-year-old boy in Pune. The injury was at the level of the shoulder and required the reattachment of the arteries, veins, nerves, bones and tendons. The extensive procedure involved approximately 11 hours of overnight surgery. Decades later, the patient had regained useful function and was able to ride a motorcycle.
Community Service
An important part of Dr. Pankaj Jindal’s work has been providing free surgical care through rural deformity correction camps. In collaboration with organizations including Agrawal Club Pune, Rotary and Giants International, he has participated in camps held in rural areas of Maharashtra, helping patients affected by deformities resulting from injuries, burns and congenital conditions.
These initiatives have provided surgical treatment to patients who may otherwise have had limited access to specialized Hand Surgery and reconstructive care.