Morbid Obesity—A killer disease

Obesity today is recognized as a health problem of epidemic proportions. Overweight is detrimental for a person's, physical, social, psychological and emotional health. Obesity is responsible for Diabetes, Hypertension, Pulmonary problems, Obstructive sleep apnea, knee pains, Cancer of ovary, breast, uterus, prostate and many more problems. Obese people suffer from depression, lack of confidence, marital problems which are more agonizing but less visible.

An Obese Person Is.........

6 times more likely to develop gallbladder disease
5.6 times more likely to develop high blood pressure
3.8 times more likely to develop diabetes
2 times more likely to develop osteoarthritis
Higher rates of cancer have also been linked to obesity including prostate, breast, cervix, and ovarian cancers.

Losing weight will significantly reduce the many health risks that accompany obesity;

Now even growing children are getting obesity disorder due to excess indulgence of indoor games and watching T.V plus avoidance of outdoor games and exercise and premature obesity in later years can also become a cause of early death.

Why Surgery?
Although diet, exercise, behavior therapy and anti-obesity drugs are first-line treatment, but these medical solutions are only temporarily successful with the patient invariably regaining even more weight than the amount lost.

In this condition, Obesity Surgery (bariatric surgery) generally results in greater weight loss than conventional treatment, and leads to improvements in the quality of life and almost complete resolution of obesity related diseases like hypertension and diabetes. That is why obesity surgery is now being termed as Metabolic Surgery.

Am I Candidate
In order to determine if you are a candidate for weight-loss surgery, it is helpful to know your Body Mass Index or BMI. It is equal to your weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of your height (in meters). If your BMI is over 40 or BMI over 35 with comorbidities (Diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea etc) and have been unsuccessful at dietary / behavioral approaches to weight loss, you may be a candidate for laparoscopic weight-loss surgery.

Surgery for morbid obesity

First of all, it must be clear that this is not a cosmetic procedure but an “fight for existence”. Main obesity surgery procedures are Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass surgery, Lap Band surgery, Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy surgery.


Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding
A silicon band is placed around the upper part of stomach, creating a small pouch that can hold only a small amount of food. The narrowed opening between the stomach pouch and the rest of the stomach controls how quickly food passes from the pouch to the lower part of the stomach. Connected to the band is tubing which is attached to a port, this part is placed under the skin in a muscle in the chest wall. The band can be tightened or loosened to meet your needs, on OPD basis.

Laparoscopic Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass:
Gastric bypass involves creating a small pouch by dividing the stomach. The small intestine is divided and brought up to join the new stomach pouch. This allows food to go straight from the stomach pouch into the small intestine, which causes it to bypass the lower stomach and the duodenum (the first segment of the small intestine). This reduces the amount of calories that the body absorbs.

Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

The sleeve gastrectomy works by limiting the amount of food you’re able to eat. The surgeon will remove about 70-85% of your stomach. Your new stomach then takes on the shape of a banana thereby



reducing the storage capacity of stomach.

All these operations can be done laparoscopically so that the patient spends only one to two days in the hospital and can return to their daily routine in 1-2 weeks. Patients can lose 50-80% of their excess weight over 1-2 years


How does obesity surgery change your life?

Laparoscopic Bariatric / Metabolic surgery leads to definite & sustained loss of weight and reversal of

most of medical problems like diabetes and hypertension etc.

1 Lifestyle adjustments: Patient must learn to eat food in small amounts and to chew it well and slowly.
2 Weight loss starts soon after surgery and continues for atleast 2 years.
3 There is enhanced quality of life, with improved stamina, mood, self esteem and body image.
4 Almost complete resolution of DM, HPT, Sleep apnea, dyslipidemia etc.
5 Obesity surgery is not a cosmetic surgery




If you need any further information please contact:

Dr Puneet Gupta
MBBS, MS, DNB, FNB (MAS), FIAGES, MNAMS, DHA
Consultant–Minimal Access & Bariatric Surgery
SAHARA HOSPITAL
Viraj Khand, Gomti nagar, Lucknow
Email: drpgmas@yahoo.co.in
Mobile: 09919314819