Eman Ahmed's weight loss surgery: Few things to keep in mind before going for bariatric surgery

New Delhi: Bariatric surgery, also called weight loss surgery, has been doing the rounds on news portals, social media for some time now. The trend seems to have gained its momentum with Egypt's Eman Ahmed, who was known as the world's heaviest woman, successfully undergoing the first procedure following her treatment in India.

Ahmed who weighed 500 kg earlier lost nearly 120 kg before the surgery which was performed at Mumbai's Saifee Hospital last week on March 7, 2017. Doctors estimated she'll further lose about 200 kg in the next 6-8 months.

Bariatric surgery is a procedure performed on people who have obesity. Weight loss is achieved by reducing the size of the stomach with a gastric band or through removal of a portion of the stomach or by resecting and re-routing the small intestines to a small stomach pouch.

Doctors recommend that the procedure should be carried out only on those people who have failed to lose weight after genuine weight loss attempt or who have a BMI of more than 32.5, if they are suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and dyslipidemia, etc.

While the progress made so far in the case of Ahmed is remarkable, there are few things that you need to know before deciding to go for a weight loss surgery.

• Medical conditions - There are no specific medical condition which prohibit this surgery, except for advance heart disease or a cancer patient who are under treatment. Some persons suffering from psychological disorders require counseling and treatment before taking them up for surgery.
• Surgery involves - It involves certain modification in the digestive system where the capacity to eat excessively is corrected, In addition the digestive process is modified, resulting in release of beneficial hormones which cause further weight loss, cure diabetes and provide overall health benefits.
• Changes in lifestyle and eating habits - Need to develop healthy eating habits and develop a liking for foods like vegetables and fruits. Learn to eat in moderation and make wise food choices. The meals are small in size and frequent for the initial phase but gradually one can eat a normal diet in moderation.
• Different affects of surgery in men/women - Surgery is equally beneficial in both women and men, however in women of child bearing age it has specific benefits in improving fertility, carrying the pregnancy and safe child birth.
• Benefits of weight loss surgery - It not only enhances the sense of well being, social acceptance, prevention of life threatening complications for example un-timely heart attacks, diabetes and its complication, sleep apnea etc and it also prevents certain cancers for e.g. breast, colon and prostate.
• Major risks involved - Bariatric Surgery is very safe, if done at high volume centre, by competent surgeons, in fact the risk of this surgery is equal to or even lower than certain routine surgeries like hysterectomies. This surprising fact has been revealed in a scientific survey recently.
• Tips to be taken care before and after surgery - Young girls should not plan their family for about an year after undergoing this surgery. The patients are advised to follow the post discharge advice very diligently and they have to maintain a regular physical activity schedule and get back to their normal lifestyle and work routine as soon as possible. There is no specific considerations pre surgery. There is no special advice for low cal diet restriction pre surgery.

Obesity has been increasing at an alarming rate in India over the past three decades.

According to a study published in the noted journal Lancet, India is just behind US and China in this global hazard list of top 10 countries with highest number of obese people.

(With ANI inputs)