Indian Army's 1st Sikh chief heads for knee replacement procedure with wife — same day, surgery, surgeon

Indian Army's 1st Sikh chief, Joginder Jaswant Singh, is making headlines after he headed to the operation room with wife for a medical procedure together. This move, though romantic left the senior orthopaedic surgeon Dr Rajeev Sharma surprised. The doctor at Delhi’s Moolchand Hospital was amazed to learn the identity of the couple who had entered his OPD for a knee replacement surgery together.

Married to artist Anupama Singh (in her mid 70s), Joginder Jaswant Singh decided to make the medical procedure an everlasting memory. The retired chief commonly known as General JJ Singh, 80, who commanded troops in the most volatile zones, decided against a solo surgery and left the surgeon in disbelief following the unique request.

“I’ve never seen something like this,” Hindustan Times quoted Dr Rajeev Sharma as saying. The General, who led the Indian army from 2005 to 2007 and later served as the governor of Arunachal Pradesh for five years, made an extraordinary request about same surgical procedure on the same day as his wife and from the same surgeon.

The surgeon who was left momentarily speechless said, “At first, I didn’t even know he was a former Army Chief. They came to the OPD like regular patients—humble, unassuming. I found out only when my assistant, who was in touch with theirs, mentioned it,” the news outlet reported.

Recalling the time, he suggested the surgery for both of his patients, Dr Rajeev Sharma said, “While at the OPD when I suggested that they both needed knee replacement, they said they wanted to get the operation side by side, on the same day.”

General JJ Singh says, ‘Were compelled to be together’

After the medical procedure, General JJ Singh told HT, “We had to get it done, so we thought why not just do it together?” Though many called it “sweet, cute and romantic,” but for him it simply meant that they “were compelled to be together”. Describing the experience, he said we were constantly exchanging notes “it’s aching here…is it paining there.”

His wife noted, “We did all our exercises together. It’ better that way because it gets boring otherwise. We even watched some YouTube videos about the recovery exercises together."

Since both of them got the surgery done for different sides, so when they “started walking after the surgery, the two knees were paired together,” the general added.

What is knee replacement surgery

Knee replacement surgery, which is also referred to as knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure that is carried out to replace a damaged knee joint. An artificial knee joint made up of metal and plastic is inserted in its place.

When does one need knee replacement surgery?

This surgery is performed to relieve pain and disability. Those affected with medical conditions such as severe arthritis or injury are recommended this surgical procedure, especially when non-surgical treatments have failed. Depending on the extent of the damage, there are two main types namely, a total knee replacement (TKR) and a partial knee replacement (PKR).