Renowned Urologist-Surgeon, known as Father of Asopa technique Prof H S Asopa passes away

Agra: Renowned Surgeon Prof H S Asopa, best known as the father of modern urological techniques who pioneered the Asopa technique for the surgical correction of congenital deformities of the children's urinary tract, unfortunately, passed away at his residence on Wednesday morning at the age of 91.

He was known not only in Uttar Pradesh but all over the country and the world for his expertise in the field of surgery and also as a humanitarian doctor. He was extremely sympathetic to the poor and downtrodden people of this region and served a large number of poor patients free of cost.

Dr Asopa unfortunately passed away after suffering for a few days due to old age-related ailments. He is survived by his elder son Ravi Asopa who resides in Australia, and his daughter Archana who lives in the United States. The final rites had taken place on Thursday morning upon their arrival.

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Born in July 1932, he had a brilliant career and stood first in MBBS from Agra University which at that time included Agra, Gwalior and Indore Medical Colleges. He received several medals including the Chancellors Medal and did his MS in Surgery (Agra), FRCS(England), and FRCS(Edinburgh) all in the year 1964. 

He was a loved and respected teacher and continued his passion for teaching by training Post MS Surgeons and running a three-year postgraduate course of Diplomate National Board (DNB) in General Surgery and Family Medicine, accredited by the National Board of Examinations of the Government of India.

He invented a one-stage operation for Hypospadias, a congenital defect of the penis and urethra in boys, one in every 250 – 300 boys is born with this defect. About forty thousand boys are born with this defect in India alone. This research was published in the Journal “International Surgery” in June 1971.

This Procedure known as the Asopa Operation, was soon being done all over the world by Urologists, Paediatric Surgeons, and Plastic and General Surgeons. Asopa Procedure found place in Articles, International Journals, International Reference and Textbooks.

In 1984 he published another operation for hypospadias titled “One Stage Repair of Hypospadias Using Foreskin Tube” which was a refinement of the original Asopa Operation and is called Asopa II Operation and later described in textbooks as Asopa Procedure 1990 Version.

An operation invented by Dr Asopa in the mid-1990s for Stricture Urethra, published in the Journal “UROLOGY” in 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc, Philadelphia, is being followed universally by Urologists worldwide and has made Urethral Stricture Surgery easy and safe to perform. It appears in Reference books and International journals. It has been popularized among Reconstructive Urologists in Europe and America as “Dorsal Inlay Urethroplasty” or “Asopa Technique”. 

Numerous articles have been written by Urologists from the University of Washington, USA, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK, Tanta University, Egypt, Nizam’s University of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Army Research & Referral Hospital, New Delhi, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy, Center for Reconstructive Urethral Surgery, Arezzo, Italy, BYL Nair Hospital and Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai and several other Universities around the world recognizing this technique as a major advancement in Urethroplasty and its high success rate.

Yet another operation invented and published in 2002 in “The American Journal of Surgery” has made pancreatic surgery for cancer of the pancreas safer.

Dr Asopa was invited to give talks on his operations at both national and international conferences. Lectures and films of his intricate operations are shown by other workers at international conferences and on websites. He had demonstrated these operations at workshops in over 50 institutions and pre-conference workshops in India and abroad, where hundreds of General surgeons, Plastic Surgeons, pediatric surgeons and Urologists interact on close-circuit television during the procedures.

Dr Asopa was also known for his gentle behaviour, and sympathetic attitude towards the weaker sections of society and was honoured by various societies and social organizations.

Dr Asopa was awarded many prizes, memberships and fellowships including Col. Pandalai Oration in 1991, the most prestigious award of the Association of Surgeons of India. He received the “Dr B.C. Roy National Award” as an Eminent Medical Teacher in 1991. 

He was again awarded the “Dr B.C. Roy National Award” as “Eminent Medical Man” for the year 1996, both by the then Presidents of India. This award is given once a year to a medical man out of all medical faculty and disciplines in the country.

He was honoured with “HUNTERIAN PROFESSORSHIP” by The Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1997.

He received Col. Sangam Lal Oration and Gen. Amir Chand Oration both from the National Academy of Medical Sciences of India and also from The Asian Society of Paediatric Urology Oration in 2000 for outstanding contribution to Paediatric Urology.

Prof. Asopa served as National President of the Association of Surgeons of India in 1996

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