In India, neurosurgeons play a crucial role in bridging the gap between advanced medical technology and accessible healthcare, especially in underserved regions. Neurosurgery, one of the most demanding fields of medicine, requires not only exceptional technical precision but also resilient infrastructure, constant innovation and deep compassion.
In many parts of India, patients still struggle to access timely neuro care due to limited facilities, inadequate emergency response and a shortage of trained specialists. In such a scenario, the vision and commitment of a dedicated surgeon can transform an entire region’s healthcare landscape.
At the center of this transformation stands Dr Anoop Kumar Singh, Founder and Chief Neurosurgeon at Lifeline Hospital, Azamgarh. He pioneers regional neurosurgery, combining advanced technology with precision, ethics and compassionate care for millions.
The Lifeline Prophecy
Dr Anoop’s journey to neurosurgery began with a mix of emotion and purpose. In 1991, as an intermediate student in Azamgarh, he witnessed the tragic death of a batchmate’s father after a head injury. The lack of medical infrastructure in Eastern Uttar Pradesh deeply affected him. At that time, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, was the only neurosurgical center in the region.
He also remembered how his younger brother had once survived a similar injury, only because he reached BHU in time. These experiences impressed upon him the urgent need for better neurosurgical care in his hometown.
Driven by this conviction, he approached a local doctor to learn how to become a neurosurgeon. The doctor explained the long path of completing MBBS, MS and MCh and advised him to first focus on his medical entrance. That advice became his roadmap Two years later, he secured admission to King George’s Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow, one of India’s most prestigious institutions. From his first day there, he carried a single goal: to become a neurosurgeon and return to Azamgarh to serve his people.
During training, Dr Anoop saw that Azamgarh lacked CT scans, emergency care and neurosurgical services, forcing patients to travel over 100 km for treatment. Vowing to change this, he earned KGMU’s Neurosurgery Gold Medal, awarded for the first time in seven years.
Despite advice to stay in bigger cities, he returned to Azamgarh in 2007 and, with family support, a bank loan and his late mother’s savings, established Lifeline Hospital in 2009, the region’s first neurosurgical center with a 24-hour CT scan, fulfilling his promise to transform the periphery.
As time passed, he reinvested everything he earned into upgrading infrastructure. When he couldn’t afford a neurosurgical microscope, he bought an endoscope and began performing endoscopic brain and spine surgeries, making Lifeline the second center in Uttar Pradesh to offer such procedures. His pioneering work earned him the UP Lokmat Healthcare Excellence Award (2013) for outstanding contribution to health.
By 2017, Lifeline had evolved into a world-class neurosurgical center equipped with advanced systems like the Zeiss Kinevo microscope, navigation and neuromonitoring systems, and the Galileo epilepsy platform, attracting patients from across India, SAARC, and Africa.
Alongside his wife, Dr Gayatri, a neuro-anesthetist ensuring patient safety and protocols, Dr Anoop performed over 6,000 successful neurosurgeries, making Lifeline a beacon of hope in Eastern India.
In 2018, he launched a DNB Neurosurgery Program, whose first student became Uttar Pradesh’s sole qualifier in 2025, underscoring his vision, perseverance, and commitment to mentoring future neurosurgeons.
Jumping Over Hurdles
According to Dr Anoop, neurosurgery is one of the most gadget-driven fields in medicine. The biggest challenge for young neurosurgeons, especially in non-metro regions, is building the infrastructure necessary for precision and safety. He recalls how it took nearly a decade to develop such an ecosystem at Lifeline Hospital.
Furthermore, he emphasizes that, while large government and corporate hospitals have access to advanced tools, most peripheral areas do not. This gap limits outcomes which is a disparity that he aims to bridge through mentorship and collaboration.
“In today’s world, it is easy to lose one’s way amid financial, social, and professional pressures. But a neurosurgeon, like any member of society, must hold fast to honesty, ethics and faith. When you remain true to your patients, to your principles and to the Almighty, challenges lose their power. Success may take time, but it always finds those who stay sincere in purpose”, states Dr Anoop Kumar Singh.
Neurosurgical Excellence
Dr Anoop’s expertise spans the full spectrum of neurosurgery trauma, stroke, neuro-oncology, spine, epilepsy, and vascular neurosurgery. His deepest passion, however, lies in trauma neurosurgery, where he has performed thousands of complex head injury operations with exceptional outcomes.
The doctor believes that neurosurgery is as much about preparation as precision. Every operation at Lifeline is preceded by meticulous planning, team discussions and mental rehearsal. He ensures patients and their families are fully aware of potential risks and backup strategies. Furthermore, he credits much of his success to teamwork, involving neuro-anesthetists, surgical assistants, and nurses in every stage of the process.
My only aim is to give back everything i have learned to humanity, through my work, my students and my unwavering belief in service over self
In 2020, Thieme Medical Publishers invited him to author a book, which led him to write “Surgical Nuances of Head Injury”. It was the first book dedicated exclusively to operating on Head injury patients. It became Thieme’s third-largest seller in India, received global acclaim, and was translated into Chinese. Dr Gregory Hawryluk, Head of Neurosurgery at the Cleveland Clinic, reviewed it in “Neurosurgery” Journal, calling it “a point of national pride for Indian neurosurgery”.
Additionally, Dr Anoop introduced original minimally invasive techniques for head injury and brain hemorrhage, greatly improving trauma and stroke outcomes at Lifeline Hospital. He also co-developed Epregres, a patented micronutrient-based therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy with Dycine Pharmaceuticals and Zen Pharma, with their research soon to appear in a leading journal.
Today, Lifeline now leads Uttar Pradesh in stroke thrombolysis and is among only 11 Indian hospitals to receive the World Stroke Organization’s Diamond Award thrice.
A Ten-Hour Battle
Among the many unforgettable cases in Dr Anoop’s career, the one that stands out vividly is a massive arteriovenous malformation (AVM) case involving an international patient from Bangladesh. The lesion occupied nearly one-fourth of the brain, yet the patient was fully conscious and neurologically intact. This further made the operation immensely complicated.
The surgery lasted over ten hours, testing every ounce of Dr Anoop’s experience. At one critical juncture, the AVM ruptured, flooding the operative field. In what he later described as a “commando resection”, he managed to locate and coagulate the final feeder, removing the entire lesion successfully. The patient recovered completely and returned home walking, talking and seizure-free.
Legacy of Service
At 51, Dr Anoop views his work through the lens of service, not profit. Every rupee earned is reinvested into upgrading technology, expanding facilities, and training teams.
His vision now extends globally. Lifeline Hospital is developing partnerships with international institutions, including collaboration with Angola. Plans are underway to establish a fellowship program at Lifeline for neurosurgery residents from India and abroad. Dr Anoop dreams of leaving behind a legacy of knowledge, compassion, and excellence. He concludes by stating “My only aim is to give back everything I have learned to humanity, through my work, my students and my unwavering belief in service over self”.
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