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Indian Army’s 1st Sikh chief General JJ Singh and wife Anupama Singh march side by side into knee replacement surgery
General JJ Singh (Retd) and his wife, artist Anupama Singh, chose an unconventional path when they were advised knee replacement surgery.
It was a regular day at senior orthopedic surgeon Dr Rajeev Sharma’s OPD in Delhi’s Moolchand Hospital. A senior citizen couple walked in. The issue, knee pain, wasn’t uncommon at their age, he being 80 and she in her mid 70s. The solution, knee replacement, wasn’t either. What was unusual was the couple’s decision to undergo the procedure together, taking the surgeon by surprise. Surprise would eventually give way to awe when he’d learn the identity of the couple just two days before their operation — Indian Army’s first Sikh chief General Joginder Jaswant Singh (Retd) and his wife, artist Anupama Singh.
General JJ Singh, as he’s commonly known, has commanded troops in the most volatile zones, led the Indian army from 2005 to 2007, and later served as the governor of Arunachal Pradesh for five years.
Dr. Sharma, who has operated on countless knees but never got such a request, recalls being momentarily speechless. “I’ve never seen something like this,” he says, laughing. “At first, I didn’t even know he was a former Army Chief. They came to the OPD like regular patients—humble, unassuming. I found out only when my assistant, who was in touch with theirs, mentioned it,” he says. “While at the OPD when I suggested that they both needed knee replacement, they said they wanted to get the operation side by side, on the same day.”
So, why simultaneous surgeries, unlike most couples who stagger them to allow one partner to care for the other? “I don’t know, a romantic angle, maybe!”
Your post-op recovery can be a staycation
On the day of their surgery in August, Anupama was wheeled in first, followed by General Singh.” We had to get it done, so we thought why not just do it together?” says General Singh. While all the reactions they’ve got are all about “sweet, cute and romantic,” he says for him it simply meant that they “were compelled to be together”. We were constantly exchanging notes... ‘it’s aching here…is it paining there,’ he laughs. “We did all our exercises together. It’ better that way because it gets boring otherwise. We even watched some YouTube videos about the recovery exercises together,” adds Anupama.
Interestingly, the General, 80, underwent replacement in his right knee while his wife, in her mid ‘70s, did in her left. “So, that when we started walking after the surgery, the two knees were paired together,” he smiles, adding that they will undergo replacement for the other two knees in a few months. “You know, when we first met Dr Sharma, he told us we were walking not with knees, but with will power! Now, we have a better quality of life and are already walking without a limp.”
Internationally, the trend of couples opting for surgeries together for relatable recovery process and rehabilitation regime has been catching up. Last year, a couple in England who had been married for more than 50 years had cataract surgery together at Edgware Community Hospital. Kypros Constantino, 84, and his wife Mary, 78, underwent the procedures together so that they could help each other through it. Dr Laurence Whitefield, the ophthalmologist who operated on the couple was quoted in Barnet Post: “It’s pretty unusual to have a husband and wife on the same operating list. I’ve now been lucky enough to do this twice but to the same couple.” We did the first operation last month and we did the right eye for both and this time we did their left eye. It has put a smile on everyone’s faces.” Opting for surgeries together gives couples the advantage of mutual support during recovery, making it a bonding exercise . One could even treat it like a staycation before they set out to resume their normal lives. Dr Sharma says he would encourage more couples for it if they have support at home. “It is an easy, robotic assisted surgery. And guess what? They were walking the same evening, and the best part was that they walked together.”
Back to goals, golf and Goa
The Singhs are already back to their routine, with Anupama focusing on her art and General Singh on his new book. Travel , of course, tops the list after their surgery. “She is heading to Mumbai for a golf tournament and I’m off to Chandigarh for a book launch and then we have a holiday planned in Goa.”
Golf is a mutual interest for the couple whose partnership has evolved through multiple postings, military responsibilities and now a blissful retired life at their Mehrauli home. “I took up Golf because of him,” smiles Anupama. Her husband nods, “I pioneered Golf in the army. Earlier, when people played golf, others would say, ‘look he just keeps playing’. But I said, ‘if you can do your work and play, then why not’? After that, people were less scared of playing golf because the chief himself was playing,” he laughs.
Expert take on couple surgery: a powerful symbol of emotional equality
Psychiatrist Deepak Raheja says, “When couples undergo surgery together, their bodies and minds begin to heal in synchrony. Elderly couples benefit profoundly, as shared rehabilitation environments reduce isolation and postoperative depression, transforming recovery into a co-therapeutic experience. Through mirror neuron activation, watching one’s partner heal can enhance personal motivation and confidence, while emotional safety lowers pain perception and anxiety. Ultimately, entering the operating theatre together becomes a powerful symbol of emotional equality and dignity in aging. Figures like General JJ Singh show that recovery, even in later years, can be a testament to courage, partnership, and enduring love.
