Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : January 28, 2023 11:46 AM IST
Kalpesh Limbachiya before and after the surgery
Obesity can be a debilitating disease and it is often associated with multiple co-morbidities such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnoea, breathlessness, gout, varicose veins, etc. If a patient has failed to lose weight even after continuous efforts, bariatric surgery can come to their rescue and works as a tool to help them to get to a target.
Obesity is rising across the world, but contrary to common belief, obesity is not just due to excessive diet and lack of exercise, said Dr Aparna Govil Bhasker, consultant bariatric and laparoscopic surgeon at Namaha Hospital in Kandivali west in Mumbai adding that "70 per cent of obesity can be attributed to genetics."
She explains that obesity is mainly caused by neuro-hormonal dysregulation and the disease severity differs from person to person.
Not only, bariatric surgery helps people with morbid obesity to lose weight but also improve comorbidities associated with obesity and their quality of life.
A 38-year-old man weighing 262 Kg lost 41 Kg in one month, thanks to a team led by Dr Aparna, who successfully conducted a bariatric weight loss surgery on him. Kalpesh Limbachiya, a resident of Kandivali, underwent a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy December last year at Namaha Hospital. Currently, he weighs 221 kgs.
Before the surgery, the patient suffered from severe obesity or morbid obesity. At the same time, he was also struggling with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), cellulitis of abdomen and both legs, breathlessness, gout and varicose veins.
He tried multiple diets and exercise regimes but would regain lost weight within a short span of time. The gained more weight during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he could not continue with the rigorous exercise regime due to all the restrictions. In December 2022, he reached his highest weight of 262 Kgs. Adding to his woes, he developed multiple other diseases. Even performing his routine activities became a challenge for him and had to depend on his family members for everything. He could barely walk and as his health continues to decline, he had to leave his job as well.
In such case, bariatric surgery is the only proven method for effective weight loss, according to Dr Aparna.
As bariatric surgery was the only option for Limbachiya, he was prepared for the surgery. Prior to the surgery, he was kept on a high protein liquid diet for 4 weeks under the supervision of bariatric dietician.
According to bariatric dietician Mariam Lakdawala, patients with severe obesity are required to be optimized nutritionally before they are taken up for a weight loss surgery.
Moreover, the associated conditions had to be controlled before the surgery to aid recovery post-surgery, noted Dr. Tejas Mehta, physician at Namaha hospital, who treated Limbachiya for all the other co-morbidities.
According to Dr. Mehta, sleep apnoea is one of the most commonly associated medical condition with severe obesity and it is usually undiagnosed.
Finally, the patient underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy on December 20, 2022.
Talking about the surgery, Dr Aparna said, "The surgical procedure was technically very difficult due to excess fat in the abdomen and large size of the liver. The surgery lasted for 3 hours, after which the patient was kept in the ICU for a day so that he could be monitored closely."
He was discharged on the fourth day after the surgery and lost 41 kgs in the four weeks. He can now walk for longer distance and is expected to lose more weight in the upcoming months.
Sharing his recovery and changes after the surgery, Limbachiya said that he feels much lighter now, he can move freely again, and his comorbidities are getting controlled.
About Limbachiya's condition, Dr Aparna stated that patients with such high weight are rare, and they constitute less than 5 per cent of all patients with obesity.
The surgeon pointed out that for such patients with morbid obesity and multiple comorbidities, it is unfair to expect them to indulge only in rigorous exercise and deny proper treatment.
"Bariatric surgery is the only effective weight loss option for such patients and works as a tool to help them to get to a target," stated Dr Aparna.
However, a healthy lifestyle is important after surgery to maintain weight loss, she concluded.
