closesearch
Celeb Look
Salon and Spa
Be Beautiful
Beauty Awards 2019
Grow Hair Naturally
Standstrong
Careers & Money
Subscribe to Femina.in, India's fastest growing women's website
Femina has been capturing the essence of the Indian woman for 58 years now, and has evolved with her over the years bringing the world to her doorstep. And now, here's your chance to get the dope on everything--from celebrities and fashion, beauty and wellness, to lifestyle and relationships--delivered directly to your inbox. Plus expert tips, polls, contests and other interactive articles and a whole lot more!
not interested don't ask me again
'); $("#response_msg_div").attr('class', 'success'); $('#response_msg_div').html('Thank you for subscribing. We will reach out to you soon.'); setWCookie('show_newsl_popup','1', '365'); setTimeout(function () {	$('.close').click(); }, 2500); }); }else if(data == 2){ $("#loading_bar").hide(); $("#response_msg_div").html("Please enter valid email id"); $("#join_email").focus(); $("#response_msg_div").show(); }else{ $("#loading_bar").hide(); $("#response_msg_div").html("You are already subscribed to our newsletter");	$("#join_email").focus(); $("#response_msg_div").show(); return false; } $("#loading_bar").hide(); }); }else{ $("#response_msg_div").html("Invalid email id"); $("#response_msg_div").show(); document.getElementById("join_email").value==""; $("#join_email").focus(); return false; } }
Dr Priya Selvaraj Is Enabling Miracles For Cancer Survivors
by Neeti Jaychander | April 25, 2019, 12:00 AM IST
One of the country's most prolific doctors, practising obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr PriyaSelvaraj has been helping couples conceive and have children for many years. Specialising in fertility medicine for more than 18 years, she has several firsts and achievements to her credit. Her most recent breakthrough is a baby born to a uterine cancer survivor, the first in India. Excerpts from a chat with the remarkable and unassuming lady.
You are one of India's most popular fertility experts. What prompted you to work in this field of medicine?
Frankly, it was not my first choice. I wanted to become a surgeon or an intensive care physician. During internship, when I experienced the work in this field, I thought deeply about what it had to offer and took it up. The part that excited me the most then, was that I could do surgery as well as work in a laboratory, and have now developed a keen interest in the field. For the past eight years, I have undergone training in fertility preservation techniques for cancer patients. It is an upcoming field, which offers men and women the option to preserve their fertility prior to undergoing a cancer treatment. It requires teamwork between the treating oncologist and the fertility specialist.
How did you work towards achieving your goal?
The first few years of my practice were spent on learning and unlearning several work-related processes. Despite being successful, I was restless, wondering what is next. I signed up for a two-year masters' programme with the Jones Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Norfolk, USA, which was instrumental in the birth of the first IVF baby in the country. It was an eye-opening experience and allowed interaction with peers who were on top of their research; it enhanced my interest in performing laboratory procedures. I began to look at the field with a renewed interest. Upon completing that course, I was already looking at making forays into two upcoming specialties that the ex-programme director had suggested—pre-implantation genetics and oncofertility. I was fortunate to have the chance to attend a two-day observership under a pioneering fertility specialist in the US, and the procedures I observed were revolutionary, like preserving ovarian tissue for the future. Following this, I underwent a week-long training in Copenhagen under another global pioneer, and then there was no turning back.
Your mother, Dr Kamala Selvaraj, is a formidable doctor doing similar work. Do you collaborate with her? Is there pressure to live up to her legacy?
We have a boss-employee relationship. We also agree to disagree on both the administrative and clinical side of things. For most part, it has been a constructive experience and enables us to see each other's point of view soon enough, if not immediately. We do not carry work-related issues home and vice versa. I throw in the ideas and wait for acceptance, and, on certain occasions, we collaborate. It is a profession which requires team work, and in that context, we have to be receptive to ideas and keep ourselves updated.
In 2008, you were responsible for India's first frozen oocyte baby. How did that happen?
The idea of freezing oocytes came about during my stint at the masters' course in the US. In 2004, I started reading whatever literature was available on the subject, but the success rates were not very encouraging. Sperm and embryo freezing was already common and freezing oocytes was hitherto spoken of only theoretically. Coincidentally in 2005, a company from Singapore, that we were dealing with, launched new products which included materials for freezing eggs. So by December 2005 my first tryst with oocyte freezing started. Initially, it was a struggle since there was only theoretical guidance. All the results were negative. After freezing and thawing over 300 oocytes, we finally nailed it in 2007, and it ended in our first two successful births through the technique in 2008 and 2009.
You've created history by delivering a baby for a uterine cancer survivor, a first for India. How did you manage the feat?
It takes time for new ideas and possibilities to be accepted. Over the past few years, I attended conferences and trainings for freezing of ovarian tissues. Harvested from the cancer patient, this tissue would be frozen and then re-implanted at the right time so the ovarian function can return. This young couple from Kerala first came to us in 2016 after the woman's uterus and left ovary were removed due to early grade uterine cancer. Her surgeon had preserved her right ovary in her body, although its position was changed. Looking at her medical and surgical history, and the position of the right ovary, I wondered how we were going to technically retrieve oocytes, since the common process, through the vagina, was not feasible. We did it through the skin. This whole procedure was innovative. I failed twice, but the third attempt was successful.
Is this a ray of hope for cancer survivors across the country?
It gives me a tremendous feeling of accomplishment that a cancer survivor now has had the chance to have her own biological child. While many of us as fertility specialists strive to give some ray of hope, an opportunity like this is a rare instance. It makes one believe that miracles, after all, can happen.
Over the years you've helped scores of childless couples have children. How fulfilling is it?
Infertility is still a stigma in both rural and urban settings. So, to be able to put an end to their emotional trauma, and give them a bundle of joy in their hands, is a wholesome and satisfying feeling at every level. It also leads to high stress levels since failures are disheartening for everyone involved.
Besides being a doctor, you're also an avid writer and fitness enthusiast. Can you tell us a little about your other interests?
Being fit and maintaining a healthy diet are absolutely essential for me. I am vegan and enjoy south Indian cuisine immensely. I believe in the power of yoga on one's mind and body. It gives me much-needed discipline. I also love photography, particularly street and conceptual photography. I love to travel, read good books, and watch movies while spending quality time with my kids. Guitar lessons are also happening lately!
Being a mother of three children, how do you manage the demands of a round-the-clock career with effective parenting?
I make choices and have effectively learned to say no to any event or function that eats into my 'me' time or family time. I am available for the hospital on Sunday, but I spend it completely with my kids. I ensure I am there before they leave for school and at home before they go to bed. It is all possible when you know that you have control over your time.
I want to contribute to healthcare in a more meaningful way; our system isn't accessible to all. I would be working towards making a difference in oncology and if destined, enable more miracles.
Next Story : Sangeeta S Bahl: oldest Indian woman to climb Everest
Please wait while your comment is posting...
Up Voted Newest Oldest Discussed Down Voted
Be the first one to comment.
Most Popular in Achievers
Unstoppable Hima Das bags 4 international gold medals in 15 days
Vinesh Phogat wrestles her way to the top, wins gold
Wimbledon 2019: Simona Halep beats Serena Williams to win women's title
Meet Pratiksha Das, Mumbai's first female bus driver
Mother of teens, Bhavna Tokekar wins 4 powerlifting golds!
Activist Anuradha Koirala has rescued over 12k girls from trafficking
Anshula Kant becomes World Bank's first woman CFO
Yours unapologetically, Mallika Dua
Rajasthan's Suman Rao is fbb Colors Femina Miss India 2019
#StandStrong & live your life on your own beats like Uma Das Dhaki
Ratna Singh, India's first woman naturalist, urges women to #StandStrong
#StandStrong like Dr. Seema Rao, India's first female combat trainer
Filmfare Awards 2019
Filmfare Awards 2019 Winners
Filmfare Awards 2019 All Updates
Filmfare Awards East 2019
Short Films 2019
Filmfare Awards South 2018
Happytrips
D/code 2019
फेमिना हिन्दी
ফেমিনা বাংলা
தமிழ் ஃபெமினா
Times Knowledge
Goodhomes
Copyright © 2019 Worldwide Media | The Times of India. All Rights Reserved.