Bariatric surgery offers best hope for morbid obesity: report

Riyadh: Bariatric surgery remains the best way to manage morbid obesity as the procedure helped several people suffering from the condition find a new life, according to The Indian Express.

This comes in the midst of report how Saudi man Khalid bin Mohsen Shaari went from weighing 610 kg to 63.5 kg, making headlines.

Alongside the concomitant difficulties, morbid obesity is known to shorten life spans.

The bariatric surgeon Dr Shashank Shah based in Pune said that the surgery guarantees the best outcome in extreme obesity.

Dr Shah is well known after having performed surgeries on both the heaviest woman and oldest man in the country.

“Evidence-based medicine suggests that even in the era of medications, bariatric and metabolic surgery still provide the best proven long-term outcome. The one who is metabolically, psychologically and physically affected due to obesity should seek options for bariatric surgery,” Dr Shah was quoted as saying.

It is reported that Dr Shah is set to present his case studies at the world congress of obesity surgeries next month.

Bariatric surgery is a procedure that will reduce the size of the stomach alongside bypassing a portion of intestine.

The procedure will change body’s demand for food, and absorption.

The surgery is required for Class III obesity, also known as morbid obesity.

Morbid obesity is about a patient having body mass index (BMI) of 35 to 40 or higher alongside the waist circumference between115-125 cm or higher.

Those with the condition are at the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and uncontrolled diabetes, according to the report.

“Asians, and Indians in particular, need a more aggressive approach in treating obesity and its co-morbidities as it is associated with higher morbidity and mortality at a relatively lower BMI,” says Dr Shah was quoted as saying.