IN MEMORIAM: Thanjavur Santhanakrishna Kanaka (31^st March 1932 – 14^th Nov 2018)

Lessons from the life of Asia’s first female neurosurgeon for modern neurosurgical trainees and educators worldwide

“…1). 2,3 While previous biographies have covered her academic successes, including a brief description as part of a recent review on international women in neurosurgery, 2-4 this historical vignette narrates lessons to be learned from her life along with corresponding facets from her career. Empha-sized below are the specific attributes that enabled her to succeed in a hostile world in which gender discrimination was present at every step.…”

T. S. Kanaka: First asian woman neurosurgeon, who pioneered stereotactic, functional and cerebral electrode implant surgery and developed separate neurosurgical speciality in India Early 1970

“…She developed a separate subspecialty of stereotactic and electrode implant about a decade earlier prior to getting the application popular and getting acceptance in the other part of globe. [7]…”

“…Further, she got Ph D. in 1972 and received Diploma in higher education in the year 1983. [7] During the second phase of professional life, she also served as a medical officer in the Indian Army during the 1962 and worked at prestigious General Government Hospital in Chennai. She was a pioneer member of stereotactic surgery team at Madras in 1960, the earliest team to carry out stereotactic surgical procedures in India.…”

“…She developed a separate subspecialty of stereotactic and electrode implant about a decade earlier prior to getting the application popular and getting acceptance in the other part of globe. [7] During the third phase of professional life, after retirement, she set up prestigious Sri Santhanakrishna Padmavathi Health Care and Research Foundation in 1990, were financed solely with her own personal savings, which used to offer free treatment for poor and needy fellow. [3,5] In 1996, Kanaka became Honorary President of Asian women's Neurosurgical Asociation and also designated Asia's first female neurosurgeon.…”

“…She was awarded with numerous awards and had many publications in international journals. [7] She always demonstrated high courage and always fought against women discrimination in medical education and laid down the path for other women to enter the male-dominated field of neurosurgery as well as medical education. She had lot of younger neurosurgeons, who were mentored and guided by her and today heading many neurosurgical centers across India and thousands of happy patients treated by her.…”