In every operating theatre, there comes a moment when an emergency turns all eyes to the anaesthesiologist. “When a patient is crashing, the whole OT looks to you to secure the airway, stabilise the vitals and bring the patient back,” says Dr. Jayaraja H S. Through polytrauma, emergency caesareans and complex orthopaedic surgery, he has been that clinician for nearly two decades.
As Consultant Anaesthesiologist and Intensivist at Kanva Sri Sai Hospital, Bengaluru, he is equally at home in the operating theatre and the ICU. That combination matters most in trauma care. Road accidents alone claimed 1.72 lakh lives and injured 4.6 lakh people in India in 2023, and the most seriously injured often need emergency surgery followed by intensive care.
That reach across anaesthesia, trauma and critical care, together with his drive to build a centre of excellence for safe anaesthesia and pain management, earns Dr. Jayaraja a place among India’s Top Anesthesiologists of the Year – 2026.
Drawn to Physiology and Precision
Dr. Jayaraja H S completed his MBBS at Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar. Through medical school and internship, physiology, pharmacology and clinical decision-making held his interest most. “Anaesthesia is a specialty that brings all of these together in perfect balance,” he says.
A year in ENT confirmed his direction. Watching anaesthesiologists perform procedures and take charge of every emergency, he chose to specialise in the field. “I saw it as a specialty that keeps patients alive and safe when they are at their most vulnerable,” he says. “Over the years, that initial fascination has evolved into a deep respect for the responsibility we hold.”
Training at Home and Abroad
He earned his Diploma in Anaesthesia at Sri Siddhartha Medical College, Tumakuru, and pursued advanced anaesthesia training at Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram, Andhra Pradesh. He also holds a DNB in Anaesthesia. With a keen interest in critical care, he trained extensively in high-risk surgical cases, emergency anaesthesia and intensive care management.
He broadened his experience abroad as a Specialist Anaesthesiologist in Serowe, Botswana. In Bengaluru, he has worked as an anaesthesiologist and intensivist across several multispecialty hospitals, including Vagus Super Speciality Hospital.
He is a permanent member of the Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists, a member of the Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine and a certified ATLS provider.
Two Hospitals, One Standard
Today, Dr. Jayaraja practises at Kanva Sri Sai Hospital and Sun Hospitals, Bengaluru. At Kanva Sri Sai Hospital, his patients range from children to the elderly, and from low-risk to high-risk ASA grades. He provides general and regional anaesthesia, critical care, and pain and palliative care across general surgery, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatric surgery, neurosurgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, urology and polytrauma.
At Sun Hospitals, he supports a complete orthopaedic service that includes robotic knee replacement, spine surgery, plastic surgery and paediatric orthopaedic surgery.
His care begins with pre-anaesthetic evaluation and optimisation, continues through meticulous intraoperative monitoring, and extends to postoperative pain management and critical care. He has adopted modern monitoring systems, video laryngoscopy, infusion pumps and ultrasound-guided nerve blocks, all of which have significantly improved safety and precision.
A Mother and Her Newborn
The moments that most reaffirm his choice come in emergencies. One such case was an emergency caesarean section in which both mother and baby were critical. Precise, rapid anaesthetic management and seamless coordination with the surgical and paediatric teams ensured a safe delivery, and both mother and newborn were stable.
“Hearing the baby’s first cry reminded me that anaesthesiology is not just a specialty,” he says. “It is a responsibility and a privilege.”
Building a Centre of Excellence
For both hospitals, Dr. Jayaraja’s vision is a centre of excellence for safe anaesthesia and pain management. The plans include strengthening the pre-anaesthesia clinic, enhancing ERAS protocols and establishing a dedicated acute pain service for better postoperative outcomes. Personally, he continues to deepen his expertise in ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia and advanced critical care protocols.
He sees a clear role for AI in predictive risk assessment, depth-of-anaesthesia monitoring and early warning systems in ICUs. “AI will be a powerful assistant, not a replacement,” he says. “The final clinical judgement, empathy and human touch will always remain with the doctor.”
Family First
A specialty with round-the-clock demands calls for conscious balance, and for Dr. Jayaraja, family provides it. “A calm anaesthesiologist is a better anaesthesiologist, and that calm comes from family,” he says. Reading, music, travel and spirituality help him return to work with a fresh perspective. “Medicine is what I do, but family is who I am.”
To young doctors, he describes anaesthesiology as the backbone of modern surgery, ideal for those who love applied physiology, stay calm under pressure and want to make a life-saving difference without needing the limelight. His advice is practical. “Be thorough with your basics, respect your monitors, never skip your pre-op evaluation and always prioritise patient safety over speed.”
