Dr. Upendra Devkota

Dr. Upendra Devkota is universally regarded as the father of modern neurosurgery in Nepal, having dedicated over 35 years to building and advancing neurosurgical care across the country. After completing his training in the United Kingdom and returning to Nepal, Dr. Devkota established the country's first dedicated neurosurgical unit and went on to found the National Institute of Neurological and Allied Sciences, which became the primary center for brain and spinal disorders in Nepal. Currently practicing at Norvic International Hospital in Kathmandu, Dr. Devkota continues an active clinical and teaching practice. His career is distinguished by his determination to provide world-class neurosurgical care within Nepal, dramatically reducing the number of patients who previously needed to travel to India or abroad for brain and spine procedures. He has trained the vast majority of Nepal's active neurosurgeons and remains deeply involved in mentoring junior surgical talent.

Dr. Upendra Devkota completed his MBBS at the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, in Kathmandu. He then traveled to the United Kingdom for postgraduate surgical training, earning his Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh — a prestigious qualification that placed him among the highest caliber of surgeons trained in the British tradition. His neurosurgical training included exposure to leading neurosurgical centers in the UK, where he honed skills in cranial and spinal surgery. Following his return to Nepal, Dr. Devkota continued to expand his training through international collaborations, fellowships, and scientific exchanges with neurosurgical centers across Asia, Europe, and North America. He has been a visiting surgeon and invited faculty at neurosurgical institutions worldwide.

Dr. Devkota's clinical expertise encompasses the complete range of neurosurgical procedures, with recognized depth in four areas. In brain tumor surgery, he performs complex craniotomies for supratentorial and infratentorial tumors including gliomas, meningiomas, pituitary tumors, and acoustic neuromas, using contemporary neuronavigation and intraoperative monitoring. In spinal surgery, he manages degenerative, traumatic, and neoplastic spinal disorders with both open and minimally invasive approaches. His vascular neurosurgery work includes clipping of cerebral aneurysms and management of arteriovenous malformations. In epilepsy surgery, he conducts pre-surgical evaluations and performs resective procedures for medically refractory epilepsy. Dr. Devkota also manages emergency neurosurgical cases including traumatic brain injury, acute hydrocephalus, and hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage.

Dr. Devkota welcomes patients from across South Asia and beyond, particularly those seeking neurosurgical expertise combined with cost-effective care in Nepal. Norvic International Hospital maintains a dedicated international patient services team that assists with appointment scheduling, pre-arrival document coordination, and accommodation arrangements in Kathmandu. Dr. Devkota consults fluently in English, Nepali, and Hindi. For patients unable to travel, telemedicine consultations are available for imaging review and clinical assessment before deciding on surgical management. The hospital can also arrange post-operative telemedicine follow-up to support patients who return home after surgery in Kathmandu.

Dr. Upendra Devkota has received numerous national and international honors for his transformative contributions to Nepali healthcare. He has been awarded the Gorkha Dakshin Bahu, one of Nepal's highest civilian honors, in recognition of his service to medicine and neurosurgery in the country. He has been an invited speaker at the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies congresses and regional neurosurgical meetings across Asia. International neurosurgical organizations have recognized his work in building neurosurgery capacity in a low-resource setting as a model for other developing nations. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed neurosurgical journals and contributed chapters to neurosurgery textbooks used across South Asia.