Dr. Samskruthi P. Murthy holds the distinction of being the first surgeon registered as a Head and Neck Oncosurgeon with the Karnataka Medical Council — a milestone that represents not only a personal achievement but a defining moment for the specialty in the state. Her registration formalised a subspecialty that had previously lacked dedicated recognition in Karnataka, and it continues to serve as a foundation for expanding access to specialist Cancer Surgery across the region.
This distinction is not simply a credential. It reflects a decade of focused subspecialty training, a commitment to the highest standards of oncological Surgery, and a belief that patients in Karnataka deserve access to the same quality of head and neck Cancer care available at the world’s leading centres.
Dr. Samskruthi completed her MBBS at Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences, Bengaluru, before pursuing her postgraduate training in ENT with an MS degree from JSS University, Mysore.
It was during these formative years that her focus on oncological surgery began to take shape — recognising that the field of head and neck cancer required surgeons with both deep anatomical expertise and a long-term commitment to subspecialisation.
To deepen her surgical expertise, Dr. Samskruthi undertook an MCh in Head and Neck Oncology at Amrita School of Medicine, Kochi — one of India’s most rigorous and comprehensive programmes in this subspecialty.
The MCh curriculum equipped her with the full breadth of skills required for complex head and neck oncological surgery, from surgical resection and reconstruction to multidisciplinary treatment planning and oncological decision-making.
Following her MCh, Dr. Samskruthi completed a Fellowship at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bengaluru — one of India’s leading dedicated cancer institutions.
This fellowship grounded her clinical training in the realities of high-volume oncological surgery and deepened her experience in complex resections, microvascular reconstruction, and the management of advanced and recurrent disease.
Dr. Samskruthi’s academic journey extended to the United States, where she served as a Visiting Clinical Scholar at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), in the Department of Head and Neck Oncology.
UPMC is one of the world’s foremost centres for head and neck surgery, and this experience allowed Dr. Samskruthi to directly observe and participate in the standards of care, surgical techniques, and research culture that define global practice in the field.
The knowledge and perspectives she brought back have directly shaped her approach to patient care in Bengaluru.
Dr. Samskruthi’s surgical practice spans the full spectrum of head and neck oncological surgery, with particular depth of expertise in the following areas:
Including advanced-stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma requiring complex resection and microvascular reconstruction.
Including total thyroidectomy, central and lateral neck dissection, recurrent laryngeal nerve preservation, and management of advanced and recurrent thyroid disease.
Including endoscopic and open approaches to anterior, middle, and posterior skull base tumours, with integrated skull base reconstruction.
Operations for recurrent or persistent head and neck cancer after prior treatment failure, performed with curative intent in irradiated and previously operated fields.
Including radial forearm, fibula osteocutaneous, anterolateral thigh, and rectus abdominis flaps for complex head and neck defects.
Including endoscopic laser resections and open laryngeal surgery for selected malignant and benign conditions.
Post-surgical rehabilitation of swallowing function, working with a multidisciplinary team to restore eating and quality of life.
Salvage surgeries and microvascular reconstruction represent the areas of deepest specialisation and personal commitment in Dr. Samskruthi’s practice — cases that demand both the highest surgical precision and the widest reconstructive repertoire.
Dr. Samskruthi has maintained an active commitment to research and academic contribution throughout her clinical career, believing that advances in cancer care depend on the rigorous sharing of surgical outcomes, techniques, and evidence across the scientific community.
Dr. Samskruthi’s approach to oncology is grounded in the understanding that a cancer diagnosis is not only a medical event — it is an emotional, physical, and social experience that affects the entire family.
Her practice is built on the belief that exceptional surgical care and genuine human empathy are not competing priorities. They are, in her view, inseparable.
She is known among colleagues and patients for her directness and honesty, her meticulous attention to surgical process and protocol, and her willingness to explain complex decisions in language that patients and families can understand.
In her practice, no protocol is compromised for convenience, and no patient leaves a consultation without feeling heard.
Her surgical philosophy is similarly precise: complete oncological resection and thoughtful reconstruction are planned together, not sequentially.
The goal is not merely to remove the cancer — it is to ensure that the patient who emerges from surgery has the best possible functional life beyond it.
Beyond the operating theatre, Dr. Samskruthi serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bengaluru, where she mentors surgical trainees and shares the clinical and academic knowledge she has accumulated over her career.
She has presented at respected platforms including the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies and the National Conference of the Foundation for Head and Neck Oncology, and she remains an active participant in the academic life of her specialty.
Her surgical philosophy is similarly precise: complete oncological resection and thoughtful reconstruction are planned together, not sequentially.
The goal is not merely to remove the cancer — it is to ensure that the patient who emerges from surgery has the best possible functional life beyond it.
