Neurosurgeon Paints the Beauty Within the Brain

In 2025, Pune-based neurosurgeon Dr. Jaydev Panchwagh is using his artistic talents to showcase the beauty within the human brain. Twenty years ago, Panchwagh discovered what he initially thought was a pearl inside a patient's skull, but it turned out to be a slow-growing tumour called an epidermoid. This "glimpse of beauty" through the microscope inspired the doctor to start documenting his neurosurgical procedures on paper and, later, with digital tools.

Over the past two decades, Panchwagh has performed thousands of Microvascular Decompression surgeries and created over 60 paintings. He now aims to wield the digital stylus with the same precision as the scalpel, determined to share the "aesthetic bounty" of neurosurgical experiences. Panchwagh's artistic journey began in 2004 when he treated a patient with trigeminal neuralgia, a condition Salman Khan had referenced on TV. The successful surgery prompted Panchwagh to document each "conflict" between cranial nerves and blood vessels, which he found visually captivating.

As endoscopic technology evolved, offering brighter views of the brain, Panchwagh became increasingly inspired by the three-dimensional perspectives, which reminded him of the works of Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso. While neurosurgeons have historically sketched the brain for documentation, research, and teaching, Panchwagh believes many overlook the aesthetic dimension. Each of his digital artworks takes 12 to 14 hours to create, and he often gifts them to his patients as a token of appreciation.