Ashvin Pimpalnerkar

Mr Pimpalnerkar began his orthopaedic career with the Royal Navy at the Royal Hospital Haslar in January 2000. In January 2003, he was appointed Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine. Only three weeks into the role—and shortly after his promotion to Surgeon Commander—he was deployed aboard RFA Argus in the Northern Arabian Gulf as part of the Primary Casualty Receiving Facility (PCRF) 100 complement. The PCRF is a 100-bedded medical facility with intensive care, high-dependency, ward beds and three operating theatres. Working alongside the Defence Consultant Adviser, he provided consultant-level cover throughout the conflict, operating on a wide range of cases including life- and limb-saving trauma and complex damage-control surgery. He also delivered visiting clinics and surgical sessions on nearby vessels such as HMS Ocean and HMS Ark Royal.

Between 2000 and 2008, he undertook several peacekeeping missions and international military exercises, including Operation Linked Seas aboard the PCRF in the Bay of Biscay in 2000, and Operation Medman at the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) in Canada. He deployed to Iraq on three occasions on active Telic duty, serving as the consultant orthopaedic surgeon to the field hospital supporting multinational forces. During these periods he also held positions as clinical lead and Medical Officer in Command (MOIC). Outside active conflict zones, he provided regular overseas clinics and operative sessions at the Royal Naval Hospital Gibraltar.

He now practises as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon within both the NHS and private sector. His NHS work includes elective surgery and participation in the general trauma on-call rota. He is actively involved in teaching medical students, trainees and junior consultants at local, national and international levels. He is a national lead in computer-assisted knee surgery and performs robotically assisted lower-limb arthroplasty, with ongoing interests in advanced cartilage-grafting technologies.

Hip procedures: primary total hip replacement, young adult hip surgery and arthroplasty, joint injections (steroids, PRP, hyaluronic acid visco-supplementation, Arthrosamide, N-Stride, etc).

Knee procedures: knee arthroscopy, stem cells and biologics, cartilage repair and grafting and restorative and transplant surgery, ligament reconstruction (arthroscopic and open), patellofemoral pathology and instabilities, uni-compartmental and total knee replacements, MAKO robotically assisted UKR and TKR, and specialist joint injections (steroids, PRP, hyaluronic acid visco-supplementation, Arthrosamide, N-Stride, etc).

In surgery, it is his attention to detail that defines his practice, and it is this focus that underpins the strong outcomes reflected in his NJR data. His practice places particular emphasis on infection prevention through his “NEAT and CLEAN” protocol, as well as reducing hospital pressures by shortening patient length of stay using Enhanced Recovery Pathways. To him, quality is paramount, and by carrying out regular audits he is able to self-appraise and reflect on his work, continually striving for perfection.

His clinical practice is centred on what he refers to as the four ‘A’s: Availability, Affability, Academics and Accountability. He firmly believes that a kind hand on a patient’s shoulder is as important as a surgical knife to skin. He has incorporated modern sports surgery practices, including FASTRACK clinics, along with advanced surgical techniques such as cartilage grafting, robotics, and computer-assisted surgery, into his practice in pursuit of clinical excellence.

His UK orthopaedic training began in 1994, when he served as a Specialist Orthopaedic Trainee under the West Midlands and Defence Deaneries. After obtaining the FRCS (Orth), MSc Trauma (Birmingham), and MCh Orth (Liverpool), he completed advanced fellowships at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital (UK), the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (Birmingham, UK), and the University of Calgary Sports Medical Centre (Canada), as well as mini-fellowships at the Balboa Naval Medical Centre (San Diego, USA) and the Peter Fowler Kennedy Clinic (London, Ontario, Canada).
• Royal College of Surgeons
• British Orthopaedic Association
• British Medical Association
• ESSKA European Society Sports Trauma Knee Surgery & Arthroscopy
• World Orthopaedic Concern
• Combined Services Orthopaedic Society
• Indian Orthopaedic Association
• Blood Red Group (Naval Medical Society)
• CAOS UK (Computer Assisted Orthopaedic Surgery)
• ICRS UK (International Cartilage Research Study)
• SRATS Romanian Society of Arthroscopy & Sports Trauma

Memberships and fellowships
• FRCS (Tr and Orth), Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Trauma and Orthopaedics,  1999
• FRCS, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Glasgow, 1999

Teaching and academic experience
• He served as a Clinical Tutor and Director of Postgraduate Teaching at Good Hope Hospital and the Heart of England Foundation Trust, UK, from 2004 to 2020.
• He is a GMC-accredited Clinical and Educational Supervisor (Medical students, FYs, GP VTS, CST, SAS and ST placements).
Educational Skills for Consultants, South Warwickshire Hospital, 2001
Educational Supervision for Trainers, Coventry University NHS Trust, 2011
Educational Supervisor Foundation Update, 2011
GMC Trainer Educational & Clinical Supervisor Update Course, Dec 2013
GMC Trainer Educational & Clinical Supervisor Update Course, Dec 2020
• He is a faculty member at national and international courses and conferences, teaching surgeons the latest techniques in arthroscopic surgery and computer-assisted surgery.
• He serves as a National Trainer and Appraiser for Orthopaedics and Joint Coordinator for the Postgraduate Exchange Programme and Travelling Fellowship for Romania since 2012.
• He has mentored international medical and postgraduate students from the Caribbean, Canada, Romania, Poland and India, including trainees requiring retraining and supervision.
• He has been an Honorary Visiting Professor at Bharatitaya Vidyapeeth University, Pune, India, since 2012.
• He held an Honorary Professorship at St Kitts Medical School, Caribbean, between 2007 and 2009.

Administrative and managerial skills
• He served as a Military Divisional Officer in the Royal Navy from 2004 to 2008.
• He was Clinical Lead and MOIC of Field Hospitals during the Telic conflicts.
• He has been Programme Director for Orthopaedic Training and Education at Good Hope Hospital, Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
• He has acted as Course Organiser and Chairperson at local, national and international levels.
• He has organised charity sporting events and led teams under the ORION banner in association with the Arthritis Research Campaign (ARC) and Help for Heroes charities.
• He has served as a Trustee for the Baron Davenport Charity in the UK.

Research
• Certified in Good Clinical Practice in Research by MIDRU (Medical Innovation Development Research Unit), Heart of England NHS Foundation, since September 2012.
• Throughout his career, he has been actively involved in research and has published three post-doctoral theses:
– The role of posterior lumbar interbody fusion in the operative management of degenerative lumbar spinal disease, MS Orth degree (1992)
– Functional outcome of the shoulder following Bankart’s repair for recurrent anterior dislocation, MSc Trauma (1997)
– Uncemented Hip Arthroplasty: Correlation between early functional results and intra-operative press-fit, MCh Orth (1998)
• Attended the Investigators Meeting for the Novocart 3D Study in Teutlingen, Germany, June 2012.
• Participated in the Freedom 450 Clinical Trial: Merillife (2019).
• Served as a member of the Chief Investigators Team, protocol co-author, and grant co-applicant for a prospective multi-centre, non-comparative, post-market clinical follow-up study evaluating the survivorship, safety, and performance of the Freedom Total Knee System in the UK (2019).

Publications
1. The Role of Kanamycin Beads in the management of chronic osteomyelitis
               Pimpalnerkar A.L. Risbud Y.W., Jog V.P.,
               Medical Journal of Western India, Vol. 20: 72 – 75 (1992).
2.           Post Traumatic Meralgia Paraesthetica. A Case Report
               Pimpalnerkar A.L., Joshipura J.C.N., Naik S.N.
               The Jaslok Bulletin, Vol. 18, No. 2: 13-15 (1993)
3.           Antibiotic drug depots – A Study of 23 Cases of Chronic Osteomyelitis
               Pimpalnerkar A.L., Jog V.P., Risbud Y.W.
               The Jaslok Bulletin, Vol. 18 No. 3: 7-11 (1994)
4.           Maffucci’s syndrome with chondrosarcoma of the hand.
              Pimpalnerkar A.L.,
               Hospital Update, 22; 7: 309(July 1996).
5.           Isolated fracture of the trapezium. An easily missed injury.
Inston. N., Pimpalnerkar. A.L., Arafa.M.A.M.
Injury; Vol 28, No. 7: 485 – 488. (1997)
6.           Carpo-metacarpal dislocation producing transient neurapraxia of the ulnar nerve
               Pimpalnerkar A.L., Fakih R., Thomas A.P.
               Injury; Vol 28, No. 5-6: 397-400 (1997).
7.           Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis of the elbow
               Pimpalnerkar A.L. and T.F.Sibly.
               Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery; 7: 71 – 5 (1998).
 8.          Hamate fracture with dislocation of the ring and little metacarpals.
               Fakih. R., Fraser A.M., Pimpalnerkar A.L
               Journal of Hand Surgery; 23B: 1:96 – 97 (1998)                                                                                                           
9.           Kohler’s disease of the navicular.
              Pimpalnerkar A.L., ‘Update’, 56; No 6: 540 (1998)
10.         Type 4 fracture of the medial epicondyle of the humerus.
               Pimpalnerkar A.L., Balasubramaniam G., Young S., Read L.,
               Injury; vol 29, No. 10: 751 – 56 (1998).

• Distinction Award (SRATS Romanian Society for Sports & Traumatology), 2016
• Foundation Trust Clinical Excellence Award, 2013
• National Orthopaedic Appraiser to Romania, 2012
• Executive Committee CAOS UK (Computer assisted Orthopaedic Surgery), 2012
• Honorary Club Surgeon West Bromwich Albion Football Club, 2009-2011
• Assistant Doctor to the Calgary Flames, NHL, Calgary Canada, 2002
• Clinical attachment to the British Winter Olympic Team, Calgary, 2002
• Research Society Award University of Poona, 1991
• Vinayak Gokhale Distinction Award for First Place in Surgery (Final year MBBS), 1988 
• Microbiology Distinction and Excellence Award, 1986
• International Rotary Scholarship, 1982
• National Merit Scholarship, 1982
• Honorary Club Surgeon Birmingham City Football Club, 2011
• Honorary Club Surgeon Sutton Hockey Club, 2008
• Honorary Club Surgeon Walsall Football Club