Broadening Surgery Access

Dr. Arvind Bhateja, a neurosurgeon, begins his talk on cycling by breaking down evolution for his audience, most specially showing how the spine has significantly changed to support the human skeleton, to protect the body, and to increase mobility. A lot of the time, people tend to take their bodies for granted until they start to experience pain. This was the case for Bhateja, when he suddenly had an acute slipped disk that caused him to be incapacitated.

From this experience, Bhateja realized the discrepancy between treatment and prevention in modern medicine, and gained a much deeper understanding of what his patients go through. After recovering, Bhateja started cycling to increase his endurance, release stress, and to strengthen his body. The convergence of his cycling and surgical worlds allowed him to excel in both and be happier as a result. In addition, Bhateja has used cycling to raise money for those in need to medical treatment, while also promoting a healthy lifestyle that can prevent larger issues down the road. Through this, Bhateja has been able to offer over 100 spine surgeries for no cost to people in low economic standings, broadening his treatment and allowing his patients to lead pain-free lives.