The Hindu Business Line : Surgical intervention to help lose weight

When they failed to produce the desired effect, he approached doctors at a city hospital for getting the excess fat surgically removed. But the doctors said it would be of little help. .

Finally, the solution to his problem came in the form of a rare surgical intervention at Global Hospitals. Doctors here, led by Dr Ashish Vashishtha, performed a bariatric procedure to help him lose weight. "We found him suffering from morbid obesity, a state that requires surgical intervention. We suggested to him to go for a bariatric procedure to get rid of the excess fat and free himself from other diseases," said Dr Vashishtha.

The procedure helps people suffering from morbid obesity to lose weight by altering their body's food digestion and absorption. It involves placing an adjustable gastric band around the stomach near its upper end, creating a small pouch and narrow passage into the larger part of the stomach.

The smaller-sized stomach needs less amount of food, thereby reducing the urge to eat more. As a result, patients would lose weight gradually.

The doctors said the tool was approved by the USFDA and that it had been accepted well. Dr K. Ravindranath, Managing Director of Global Hospitals, said there were no side effects in 95 per cent of the cases. The intervention cost about Rs 1.5 lakh.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page