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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>Kottakkal Journal of Ayurvedic Medicine And Research</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">KJAMR</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="epub">3107-4057</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Sri. Neelakandan A. N.</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.64541/KJAMR.Vol2.Iss2.73</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">kjamr-00000073</article-id>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>EXAMINING THE EFFICACY OF AYURVEDIC THERAPIES IN SELECTED CLINICAL CONDITIONS REFERRED FOR SURGICAL INTERVENTION: A CROSS-SECTIONAL RETROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVE STUDY</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Subramanian</surname>
            <given-names>Dr Dinesh Karayil</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Nair</surname>
            <given-names>Dr Deepty</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Karthikeyan</surname>
            <given-names>Dr Smitha Kandathil</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff3"/>
        </contrib>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <name>
            <surname>Balakrishnan</surname>
            <given-names>Dr Geethu</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff4"/>
        </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <aff id="aff1">Professor &amp; HOD, Department of Kaumarabhritya, Vaidyaratnam P S Varier Ayurveda College, Kottakkal, Kerala, India</aff>
      <aff id="aff2">Professor &amp; HOD, Department of Swasthavritta &amp; Yoga,Vasant Parikh Ayurvedic Medical College, Gujarat, India</aff>
      <aff id="aff3">Professor &amp; HOD, Department of Physiology, Little Flower Institute of Medical Sciences &amp; Research, Angamaly, Kerala.</aff>
      <aff id="aff4">Assistant Professor, Department of Rasashastra &amp; Bhaishajya Kalpana, Nandha Ayurveda Medical College &amp; Hospital, Erode, Tamilnadu, India.</aff>
      <pub-date pub-type="epub" iso-8601-date="2026">
        <year>2026</year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>2</volume>
      <issue>2</issue>
      <abstract>
        <p>
Background: While conventional medicine often mandates surgical intervention for various structural and inflammatory pathologies, a significant patient cohort seeks Ayurvedic alternatives due to personal preference, cost constraints or surgical contraindications. This study evaluates the long-term clinical outcomes of patients who opted for Ayurvedic management despite being formally advised to undergo surgery.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 8,012 case records from three Ayurvedic centres in Kerala, India, spanning a ten-year period (January 2006 to December 2015). A total of 1,174 patients met the inclusion criteria, having sought Ayurvedic care specifically to avoid recommended surgical procedures. Outcomes were categorized into five thematic domains: Surgery Totally Avoided, Improved Quality of Life (QoL) without Surgery, Deterioration due to Surgical Delay, resolved via Surgery and Lost to Follow-up.
Results: The data revealed that 76.06% (n=893) of the study population successfully avoided surgery, while an additional 15.08% reported significantly improved day-to-day functioning without operative intervention. Clinical success was particularly notable in cases of intervertebral disc prolapse (IVDP) and acute appendicitis. Conversely, a small minority experienced a decline in health status attributed to the postponement of necessary surgical care.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that Ayurvedic protocols can serve as a viable alternative to surgery for specific conditions, particularly where &quot;preference-sensitive&quot; decisions are involved. The high rate of surgery avoidance and improved functional outcomes underscore the need for an integrative healthcare model. Further prospective research is warranted to standardize these non-operative Ayurvedic pathways within mainstream surgical triaging.</p>
      </abstract>
      <kwd-group kwd-group-type="author">
        <kwd>Ayurveda</kwd>
        <kwd>Surgical alternative</kwd>
        <kwd>Clinical outcomes</kwd>
        <kwd>Preference-sensitive conditions</kwd>
        <kwd>Holistic healthcare</kwd>
        <kwd>Complementary medicine</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
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