Prof. Fanish Mani Tripathi–A Tribute to The Eternal Teacher

Born in pre-independent India on July 6, 1942, in the small village of Khoraram in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Fanish Mani Tripathi belonged to a family of prosperous landowners ([Fig. 1]).

Fig. 1 Prof. F. M. Tripathi-- The Eternal Teacher.

His illustrious career of many firsts started when he graduated in the first batch of biology from Gorakhpur University and began his journey in medicine when he joined the very first batch of MBBS at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (IMS BHU), Varanasi, in 1960.

Following graduation, he decided to train as a surgeon, and under the guidance of the renowned surgeon and Padma Shri Awardee Dr. N.N. Khanna ([Fig. 2]), he blossomed as a surgeon. It was perhaps not surprising that in those days of rigorous training and exacting standards, Dr. Tripathi was the only successful candidate from a batch of six students in the MS exit examination!

Fig. 2 Prof. F.M. Tripathi with his Guru Padam Shri Prof. N.N. Khanna.

At this juncture, he decided to pursue a career in a surgical discipline which owed its origins to this land, but as opposed to the modern version, plastic surgery at that point in time was still in a nascent stage not just at the institute but in the entire country. This speciality had recently gained stature and impetus under the dynamic leadership of the famous plastic surgeon Dr. J.K. Sinha who established the Plastic Surgery Division at IMS BHU. Dr. Tripathi completed his M.Ch from the new division, was appointed lecturer in the faculty, and by dint of his talent and hard work, he rose up the hierarchy quickly. In the following four decades of his illustrious career, he went on to establish and nurture a full-fledged department from this division. It is a testament to his pioneering work that during his tenure as head, the department and all the qualifications awarded by it won academic recognition from the Medical Council of India (MCI).

Not content with this, he ventured further and went on to learn microsurgery, which at that time was a fledgling subspecialty, from Dr. Bruce Bailey at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, in England. Being the visionary that he was, Prof. Tripathi could anticipate the potential demand for plastic surgery as well as for a subspecialty ([Fig. 1]) like microsurgery among a rapidly growing Indian population. On his return from England, this foresight translated into him establishing the Hand and Microsurgery Division within the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at IMS BHU, in order to train budding microsurgeons at the institute. An experimental microsurgery laboratory was formed in the department to train M.Ch. students. This was a bold and significant initiative in the eighties when India barely had a few microvascular training laboratories to train young plastic surgeons.

His special interest and research in lymphoedema took him to the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, where he studied various areas of lymphology. This led to the genesis of a lymphoedema clinic at IMS BHU in collaboration with the scientists of the Polish Academy, to address the needs of a large number of patients with lymphoedema. He forged a lasting and mutually beneficial friendship with Prof. Waldemar Olszewski, a vascular surgeon in Warsaw, Poland ([Fig. 3]). This collaboration led to several roundtable conferences, seminars, and exchange visits. An Indo-Polish collaborative group, which is active to date, was established which saw a continuous exchange of research ideas and data.

Fig. 3 Prof. F.M. Tripathi with Prof. Waldemar Olszewski.

Prof. Tripathi is renowned for his several seminal contributions in the fields of lymphology, peripheral nerve surgery, microsurgery and brachial plexus injury, all of which will remain part of his valuable legacy.

He saw the future of plastic surgery branching into several subspecializations and disciplines. Recognizing the importance of close cooperation and interaction, he strove to encourage all the subspecialties of plastic surgery, including lymphology, peripheral nerve surgery and microsurgery in his department and give them equal importance. Driven as he was by academic excellence, his tenure was marked by regular seminars, workshops, conferences in all the subspecialties. He himself attended every academic meeting possible and hardly missed a single APSICON, our annual national conference.

He retired as Professor and Head of the Department of Plastic Surgery, IMS, BHU, Varanasi in 2004. Subsequently, he was associated with the Universal College of Medical Sciences, Bhairawaha, Nepal, for the next 5 years. He was by nature helpful and even after his superannuation, he was always available for any consultation or advice to faculty, students, and administrators from institutions around the country. His wisdom guided many journeys and enriched many lives.

Publication History

Article published online:
30 November 2020