About Dr. Shrinath Viswanath
Transparent assessment. Evidence-based treatment. A decision that remains yours.
Dr. Shrinath Viswanath is an orthopedic spine surgeon with over seven years of surgical practice, five of which have been focused on spine care. He completed his MBBS at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal — one of India’s most established medical institutions — followed by his MS in Orthopedic Surgery at MGM Medical College, Navi Mumbai. His spine training was shaped by Dr. Rajesh Parasnis, a formative mentor whose clinical methodology and standards continue to inform how Dr. Viswanath approaches diagnosis, decision-making, and operative care.
He currently consults at Koregaon Park Clinic and Apollo Clinic in Pune, with surgical work performed at Sahyadri Hospital and Ruby Hall Clinic.
7+ years orthopedic and spine practice
5 years focused spine surgery
MBBS — Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
MS Orthopedic Surgery — MGM Medical College, Navi Mumbai
Spine training under Dr. Rajesh Parasnis
Medtronic StealthStation & O-arm trained, Sahyadri Hospital Deccan
Consulting: Koregaon Park Clinic, Apollo Clinic
Orthopedic Foundation
Orthopedic surgery trains you to think about the body as a mechanical system. Bones, joints, tendons, alignment, load distribution — before you consider any single structure in isolation, you learn how each part relates to the whole. That foundation matters more than most people realise when it comes to the spine.
The spine sits at the centre of that system. It is the structural axis that connects the pelvis to the skull, the conduit through which the nervous system communicates with the rest of the body, and the structure most likely to be involved — directly or indirectly — when musculoskeletal complaints arise. Spine surgery felt like a natural continuation of orthopedic thinking rather than a departure from it.
Transition to Spine
My spine training was shaped significantly by Dr. Rajesh Parasnis, whose approach to spinal surgery is grounded in clinical rigour and honest assessment. The questions he asked before recommending surgery — and the discipline with which he applied conservative care before reaching for a surgical solution — set a standard that I try to maintain in my own practice. Dr. Pathak’s influence on clinical methodology and patient communication was equally formative.
What I found in spine surgery was a discipline that demanded both the mechanical thinking of orthopedics and a precise understanding of the nervous system. The consequences of getting it wrong — neurological deficit, failed fusion, persistent pain — are significant. That weight is appropriate. It keeps the threshold for intervention where it should be.
Formative Moment
What draws me to this work, more than the technical complexity, is the moment a patient recovers function they had lost. A patient who regains the ability to walk without assistance after a spinal procedure — who can use their limbs again after a period of neurological deficit — represents everything this practice is for. It is not a dramatic moment by most standards. But it is the clearest measure of whether the work was done well.
How Surgical Decisions Are Made
Surgery is not the default response to a spine complaint, and it is not offered as a first option at this practice. Most spine conditions respond to structured conservative care — physiotherapy, pain management, load modification, and time. Surgery becomes the appropriate conversation only when that care has been genuinely trialled and has not produced adequate improvement, or when there is a clear neurological risk that makes waiting unsafe.
When surgery is indicated, the patient is told exactly what the procedure involves, what it is expected to achieve, and what it is not expected to resolve. Questions are part of the process, not an interruption to it. Second opinions are not just permitted — they are respected. No procedure is scheduled until the patient has the information they need to make a decision they are confident in.
When Surgery Is Not the Answer
There are also patients for whom surgery is simply not the right option — those whose condition is unlikely to benefit from an operation, or whose overall health makes the surgical risk disproportionate to the potential gain. In those cases, the honest recommendation is non-surgical, and that recommendation is given without apology.
Surgery is not recommended to patients who are unlikely to benefit from it — regardless of how much they want a surgical solution, or how long they have been in pain. It is also not performed in patients whose medical comorbidities make the procedural risk unacceptable relative to the expected gain. These are clinical judgements, not commercial ones.
Navigation-Assisted Surgery
Complex spinal procedures — particularly deformity correction and instrumented fusions — require a level of precision that is difficult to achieve through anatomical landmarks alone. The Medtronic StealthStation Navigation System, used in conjunction with the O-arm intraoperative imaging system at Sahyadri Hospital, provides real-time three-dimensional guidance during surgery. It allows for more accurate implant placement and reduces the margin for positional error in procedures where millimetres matter.
The value of this technology is not novelty. It is reproducibility and accuracy — the ability to perform a technically demanding procedure with a consistent level of precision regardless of the anatomical variations that make every spine different. That is the standard this practice holds itself to, and it is the reason these systems are used where they are clinically warranted.
A Collaborative Approach to Care
Spine care rarely exists in isolation from other disciplines. Physiotherapy, pain management, neurology, and internal medicine all have a role to play depending on the patient’s condition and history. Dr. Viswanath works within a professional network of specialists across these fields — not as a formal referral system, but as a genuine clinical collaboration that ensures patients are seen by the right practitioner for each part of their care.
Where conservative management is the appropriate starting point, patients are directed to experienced physiotherapists and pain specialists. Where surgical care is indicated, the team around the procedure includes anaesthesiologists, theatre staff, and post-operative physiotherapists who understand spinal recovery.
Referring Physicians
GPs and specialists who wish to refer a patient to Dr. Viswanath for a spine or orthopedic evaluation are welcome to do so by phone or letter. Referral reports and imaging are reviewed before the consultation where provided in advance. A consultation summary is returned to the referring physician following the appointment.
Ready to discuss your condition?
Consultations are in person at Koregaon Park Clinic or Apollo Clinic. Bring any prior imaging or reports if you have them — and come with your questions.