Mumbai has always been a central hub for Spine Surgery in our country, with pioneers such as Dr. K. T. Dholakia, Dr. K. V. Chaubal, Dr. A. V. Bavdekar and Dr. V. T. Ingalhalikar making significant contributions in the 1980s and 90s. They established the Association of Spine Surgeons of India (ASSI), yet there was no local city chapter or society. The trend for specialists practicing exclusive spine surgery began to emerge in the late 1990s, during which one of the first teaching courses in Spine Surgery was organized in Mumbai. This took the form of a week-long "Bombay Orthopaedic Society, Operative Spine Course", a unique course designed by Dr. Bhojraj that included comprehensive training from cadaveric to operating room.
In 2000, Dr. Ram Chaddha, the founder President of the Bombay Spine Society, set a benchmark by organizing the ASSICON meetings. These meetings paved the way for greater things, positioning the erstwhile 'Bombay Spine Group' at the forefront of spine academics in the country.
In 2004, the first Instructional Course Series of the ASSI (ICS) was held at Coimbatore, designed as a mid-year event with a theme that would also involve overseas participation from an additional Spine Society. During the first ICS, a discussion about ICS-2005 led the ASSI compass to point to Mumbai. Promising young Mumbai Spine Surgeons – Dr. Gautam Zaveri, Dr. Samir Dalvie & Dr. Abhay Nene were emerging as key opinion leaders locally and nationally, and were poised to make international inroads. Their seniors, Dr. Ingalhalikar, Dr. Vinod Lahiri and Dr. Bhojraj, encouraged these protégés to take over the mantle. The ICS-2005 at Hotel J. W. Marriot, Juhu, was a resounding success.
Dr. Ram, Dr. Abhay, Dr. Gautam, Dr. Samir and Vikram Patwardhan (VAMA EVENTS) formed a formidable team, capable of conducting academic activities that attracted spine surgeons from India and abroad. Informally, the Bombay Spine Club (BSC) was established to maintain accounts and represent local spine surgeons in future endeavors. Due to the success of ICS-2005, the ASSI offered ICS-2007 to the same team at the wonderful venue – Goa. ICS-2007 Goa at the J. W. Marriot Hotel was a landmark meeting, a path-breaking event not just for the BSS, but also for “Destination Medical Conferences” in India. The fusion of academics from breakfast to lunch, combined with networking & fellowship post-lunch, was well-received by ortho-spine delegates from all over. Every attendee cherishes fond memories of this unconventional, unprecedented yet unique event.
The BSC then hosted multiple events including the Silver Jubilee ASSICON in January 2011 at Hotel Trident, Mumbai; MISSICON – October 2015 at J.W. Marriott, Juhu, Mumbai & ASSICON – November 2015 at Cidade-de-Goa. The Bombay Spine Society (BSS) was formally instituted in 2016 with Dr. Ram Chaddha as the first president. Since then, the BSS has been growing rapidly. Among its many academic activities, The Bombay Operative Spine Course (BOSC) stands out as a unique annual event organized since 2016, which includes between 20 and 30 live relayed spine surgeries performed over three days. In 2020, the BSS organized the Asia Pacific Spine Society (APSS) live operative course to gain international recognition. The Bombay Spine Society continues to fulfill its academic and social commitments, guiding the future of spine surgery and spine surgeons.