If you want to know what early success really looks like, the story of Bihar's bone cancer specialist Dr. Karunesh Ranjan is worth reading. A native of Pirpainti in Bhagalpur, he completed his MBBS at just 23 and his postgraduation by 26. Today, at only 34, he is recognised as Bihar's first bone tumour surgeon and has become a trusted name in the state for treating bone cancer. At the age of 28, back in 2021, he treated a bone cancer case in Patna using 3D printing technology, opening up a new path, and has since given many patients a fresh lease on life.
The Spark to Become a Doctor Came From Home
Dr. Karunesh's dream of becoming a doctor did not come from any outside influence but from his own household. Watching his elder sister move ahead in the medical field, he decided to walk the same road and threw himself into preparation. The reward for his hard work was an All India Rank of 228 in the medical entrance examination on his very first attempt. He then earned his MBBS from the prestigious King George Medical College and headed to PGI Rohtak for further studies, where he completed his postgraduation and senior residency.
Drawn to Bone Tumour Surgery During PG
It was during his postgraduate years that he leaned towards bone tumour surgery. This is a highly specialised and rare branch of orthopaedics, with only a handful of doctors who are experts in it. During this period he received the guidance of Dr. Jile Singh Kundu, a well-known bone tumour surgeon in the country. Dr. Karunesh says the knowledge and experience he gained from his mentor is exactly what he now devotes to serving patients in Bihar. After finishing his studies, he worked at various institutions in India and abroad to build deep experience in the field. Apart from bone tumour surgery, he also performs complex orthopaedic procedures such as joint replacement, ligament surgery and knee replacement.
Saving the Limb Comes First
Dr. Karunesh regards bone tumour as a rare yet serious disease in which patients are left with limited treatment options. In such cases, his priority is to use the available modern techniques and treatment methods so that a patient's hand or leg can be saved and no one has to lose a limb.
Corporate Culture Did Not Suit Him, So He Opened His Own Hospital
After returning to Patna, he worked with a few hospitals, but the way they operated did not satisfy him. He firmly believes that he will not let the pressures of management in a corporate work culture fall on the patient. With this thinking, he left the job and started his own Maurya Super Speciality Hospital. Here he treats patients keeping their financial situation in mind and ensures their successful treatment accordingly. This outlook is also reflected in his fees. He says work should be such that one's own needs are met while the other person does not have to suffer a loss.
Limb-Saving Surgery for the First Time in Patna
Dr. Karunesh recalls that when he began working in Patna, bone cancer patients usually had only two choices: either get the cancer-affected limb amputated or rush to big cities like Mumbai for better treatment. Seeing this gap, he resolved to promote modern, limb-saving surgery within Bihar itself.
His first major case in Patna was a patient suffering from bone cancer in the shoulder. The patient's financial condition was extremely weak and there was not enough money for treatment. In such circumstances, the surgery was carried out under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and the patient's hand was saved successfully. After this success, other hospitals and doctors too began referring patients with complex and rare bone tumours to him.
3D Printing Changed the Treatment Picture
According to Dr. Karunesh, in 2021 he performed surgery on a bone cancer patient in Patna for the first time using a customised implant prepared with 3D printing technology. The case was extremely rare and the patient was a young student. Today that patient is completely healthy and is continuing his studies. This single success opened an entirely new route for bone cancer treatment in Bihar.
After that, many such patients were treated who were on the verge of losing a hand or a leg. The situation now is that when several large hospitals find it impossible to save a cancer-affected limb, such patients are referred to him. His effort is to use modern techniques and special surgical methods to save the patient's limb and give them a better life. Dr. Karunesh feels satisfied that he has played an important role in advancing this thinking and technology of limb-saving bone tumour surgery in Bihar. Now many patients no longer need to lose a hand or a leg to cancer and are getting advanced treatment within their own state.
The Aim: Affordable Treatment for Poor Patients
Dr. Karunesh believes that modern medical technology should not be limited to those who are financially well off. He is trying to ensure that the benefit of advanced technology like 3D printing also reaches patients who cannot bear its cost. With this goal, he is reaching out to various cancer support bodies and social organisations so that needy and poor patients can receive financial help and be provided better treatment.
