On March 19, 2025, Raja Babu, a 32-year-old resident of Sunrakh village near Vrindavan, Mathura, took a drastic step: he attempted to perform surgery on himself after watching YouTube tutorials. Driven by chronic abdominal pain—possibly linked to an appendectomy 18 years prior—he locked himself in a room, injected a numbing agent, and made a seven-inch incision on his abdomen with a surgical blade he had purchased.

The case has once again highlighted the costs of unfiltered, unverified health related misinformation available online. According to media reports, Raja Babu had been frustrated by months of unrelenting pain despite consulting multiple doctors, prompting him to turn to online videos for a solution.

"The patient saw some videos and arranged all the equipment for that," Dr Shashi Ranjan, a senior surgeon at the Vrindavan District Hospital, who treated Babu told First Check. He even "marked the cut" before proceeding, a detail Dr. Ranjan shared during the interview.

However, the procedure quickly went awry— he kept bleeding when he attempted to stitch the wound himself with 10-12 crude stitches. Overwhelmed by pain once the anaesthesia wore off, he sought help.

"So, he informed to his colleague or some neighbour," Dr Ranjan told First Check. He was rushed to Mathura District Hospital, where he was treated.

The Risks of DIY Surgery

"When patient came to my hospital, he was in pain," Dr Ranjan said. An initial examination revealed a poorly executed wound. Lacking a surgeon on staff, the team took immediate action. "We removed the stitches, which were done by the patient itself, and were not good," he explained.

They replaced them with proper sutures under aseptic conditions, administered antibiotics and painkillers, and referred Raja Babu to SN Medical College (SNMC) in Agra. As of March 20, 2025, he remained in critical condition.

Raja Babu’s self-surgery exposed him to severe risks, including infection, excessive bleeding, and organ damage. "He made a seven-by-one centimetre incision on the right side of his abdomen," Dr Ranjan confirmed to First Check.

However, such DIY surgeries could have very severe consequences, warned the doctors. "If a layman or if a general person initiates a surgery at home, it is a very wrong thing," he said, while adding that the absence of sterile conditions and professional expertise may turn a desperate act into a life-threatening crisis.

The Role of Online Misinformation

This incident has reignited concerns about health-related misinformation online. "Videos are put on YouTube for knowledge. But treatment is only possible for the experts," Dr Shashi Ranjan, speaking to First Check, emphasized the intended purpose of such content.

He acknowledged the value of such videos for trained professionals like himself, however, he condemned their misuse by untrained individuals. "People watch these videos and end up self-medicating without consultations," he added, highlighting a broader trend of self-medication. Dr Ranjan suggested that patient counselling, including psychiatric support, could help address the desperation driving such acts.

Raja Babu’s case echoes a 2024 incident in Bihar, where a teenager died after a fake doctor used YouTube tutorials for surgery. In another tragic case last month, Furkan Pahalwan, a 35-year-old local leader from Uttar Pradesh, died after consuming a weight-loss remedy promoted on Facebook and YouTube, we reported.

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