Lucknow, May 14 (IANS): Neurosurgeons at the King George's Medical University (KGMU) operated upon an 85-year-old ex-IIT Roorkee professor whose urgent brain surgery was held up due to lack of consent from the family for the past over 20 days.

The five-hour operation on Saturday by a team led by head of the neurosurgery department, Prof BK Ojha, was successful and the patient Prof Devendra Swaroop Bhargava was shifted to the Centenary Hospital where he has been kept under observation because of his co-morbid conditions.

Prof Kshitij Srivastava, who was in the team, said, "He suffered from acute subdural hematoma, a medical emergency in which blood accumulates between the brain and its outermost layer. It is quite serious condition. The surgical intervention has been done and now we hope that he regains his consciousness soon."

Bhargava was admitted to Aastha Centre for Geriatric Medicine Hospital and Hospice about 20 days ago in a semi-conscious state.

Divorced 20 years ago, Bhargava has lived alone for the past over a decade in the city's Sahara Estate, Jankipuram.

Doctors could not get the consent for the urgent surgery. The director of the Aastha hospital, Dr Abhishek Shukla approached the CMO for further direction besides requesting them to arrange some financial support.

Thereafter, KGMU doctors came forward and agreed to operate upon the patient.