nerve stimulation and biomedical devices, including those for pain management and diaphragmatic pacing. Kanaka retired as a surgeon in 1990, but continued to offer consultancy services and refused to descend into private practice. In 1996, Kanaka became the Honorary President of the Asian Women's Neurosurgical Association. At that time she was formally acknowledged as Asia's first female neurosurgeon. She used her own funds to establish a hospital, named after her parents as the Sri Santhanakrishna Padmavathi Health Care and Research Foundation, which offers free healthcare to the needy. She died on 14 November 2018 at the age of 86. Personal life After Kanaka successfully obtained her MS degree, her younger brother became ill and died at the age of nine. This tragedy influenced Kanaka's decision to remain unmarried and instead pursue a career in medicine to dedicate her life to helping patients. Kanaka also faced much discrimination as a pioneering woman in a male-dominated field, as program leaders in her MS program were untrusting of her medical capabilities, often not choosing Kanaka for surgical procedures and limiting the cases she worked in the ER. When taking her examinations, Kanaka had to appear multiple times before she was taken seriously. Kanaka was formerly listed in the Limca Book of Records for the highest number of blood donations by an individual. As of 2004 she was noted to have donated blood 139 times. See also Yoko Kato Diana Beck References External links "Stereotactic surgery in India : the past, present and the future". Ramamurthi. NeurologyIndia.com. "A lifelong passion to heal". New Straits Times. "Trail-blazer in women's education". The Hindu. 2003-04-16. "A lifelong passion to heal" by Sofianni Subki: AML-632 http://greatindianheroes.com/uncategorized/dr-ts-kanaka-asias-first-female-neurosurgeon/ http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/article404878.ece Indian neurosurgeons 2018 deaths 1932 births Medical doctors from Chennai 20th-century Indian medical doctors Indian neuroscientists Indian women neuroscientists Indian women surgeons Indian surgeons 20th-century Indian women scientists Women scientists from Tamil Nadu 20th-century women physicians 20th-century surgeons