Bariatric Surgery Kolkata Archives - Digestive Surgery Clinic

May 08 Comments Off

Bariatric Surgery- Your Fairy Godmother’s Magic Scalpel?

Posted by Dr. Pallawi Priya

We keep telling our patients that bariatric surgery is not a magic pill. Neither is it a quick-fix to lose all your extra weight.

It is just a head start for the people who find it difficult to adopt a healthy lifestyle due to their health issues.

Some people do very well with bariatric surgery and become fitness icons. Some do reasonably well and reclaim a healthy lifestyle. Some only lose a moderate amount of weight but are happy to have better health. Some do not do well at all.

It is a bell-shaped curve. Just like the marks on a math test in a large class. There are people at both extremes. About 95% are in between.

Just like a math test, it is possible to improve. It is also possible to get worse. It is okay to do badly on one test, once in a while.

Of all the things we know about obesity- the most important is that- It is a progressive disease. Obesity “begets” obesity. For every pound we gain, the likelihood of us gaining the next pound goes up. Therefore, while it is okay to fall off the fitness wagon once in a while, it is extremely important to get back on it.

Most people who have bariatric surgery face problems at one time or another. They may be related to adjusting to a new diet. They may be related to starting and maintaining an exercise regime. Or they may be psychological because unreal presurgical expectations do not match the results.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle in today’s era is not easy. But most of the people who do well become masters of creative suffering. Once you are past the difficulties of the initial few years, you are probably gonna stick to healthy living for the rest of your life.

We ask our patients to talk to others who have been through the same journey. Or talk to us- who have been companions to many on similar journeys. The first few years may be hard when we are alone. With companions, they are fun.

Apr 30 Comments Off

Bariatric surgery for children

Posted by Dr. Sarfaraz Baig

Is your child obese? Does he sit quietly in the house not wanting to go to school or play with other children? Is he or she snoring? Are her periods not normal?

If yes, your child could be harbouring the ill effects of obesity and he or she will need prompt treatment.

The childhood obesity could easily qualify to be one of the top problems the world is facing today because of the magnitude.

The causes of this tsunami of obese children have been plenty- food and inactivity being the major driving force.

There are some important reasons why we should not ignore obese children

1. It is incorrectly thought by parents that once they grow in height they would lose their bulges. Sadly, it does not happen that way! Most of these children are going to remain obese till adulthood.

2. We are now facing, for the first time in the history of mankind, the threat that the survival of this generation will be shorter than our predecessor! This is unprecedented!

3. Obese children suffer, just like adults, with diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, liver disease, heartburns, snoring and immobility. They have major psychosocial issues like poor self-esteem and lack of confidence. Many are ridiculed in school and shy away from group activities and interpersonal communication. This leads to abnormal development and growth that may result in permanent psychological trauma.

Treatment of obese children is a complex task. It needs involvement of parents, paediatricians, nutritionists, psychologists and bariatric surgeons.

In our center we evaluate each case individually and adopt the appropriate step. The initial strategy is always dietary and environmental modifications along with behaviour therapy. Sometimes bariatric surgery is needed.

Mostly we wait for skeletal maturity before taking up this surgery. However, in exceptional circumstances, when obesity is so crippling as to precipitate florid diabetes, high blood pressure and significant immobility and psychosocial issues then one must consider the bariatric surgery before it’s too late. There have been instances when waiting has been counter productive leading to permanent damage and in these situations an early bariatric surgery is beneficial.

In summary, obesity is in the rise in children. Prevention is the key and treatment whenever necessary has to be multidisciplinary in a centre where nutritionists, psychologists, endocrinologists and Bariatric surgeons work in tandem.

Apr 29 Comments Off

Fatty liver? Cirrhosis? Bariatric surgery can help!

Posted by Dr. Sarfaraz Baig

Liver disease is not uncommon in India. A few years back, the commonest cause was viral hepatitis. Recently, obesity has become the most frequent reason for liver disease.

It is therefore not surprising to note that obesity has become the commonest cause of liver disease needing a transplant.

To prevent this health hazard, we need to become more aware of obesity. Striving for weight loss obviously makes more sense than landing up in a situation where the liver transplant is needed.

It’s not always easy to bring down body weight through dieting and activity especially if the weight is above 100 kgs. Two decades back there were no options for these patients but now bariatric surgery – a laparoscopic procedure for weight loss – can help these patients.

It has been proven in studies, that obesity-related fatty liver and even cirrhosis can be completely cured with bariatric surgery.

This was unthinkable earlier!

It is strongly recommended that obese patients with fatty liver and cirrhosis should consider bariatric surgery.

A stitch in time saves nine!

Jun 13 Comments Off

What Do Real Masters Of Surgery Have In Common?

Posted by Dr. Sarfaraz Jalil Baig

I travel the World a lot for seeing the masters of their discipline. And there are many things in common to all of them. They all have passion, focus and open- mindedness!

Superficially, it may seem that these characteristics have nothing to do with surgical skills that I write about, but it’s actually these attributes that translates into a master.

In my last trips to the USA, I had the privilege to meet Dr. Yuri Novitsky, Dr. Igor Belyansky, Dr. Phil Schafer and Dr. Parks, all surgeons who have made their names in field of hernias, bariatric and reflux disease. It is their work that has shown new and future directions in these disciplines.

What is striking about these masters are that they are not afraid to think freely in the interests of the patients. They executed their innovative strategy with good intention, recorded their results and shared it with their colleagues with an open mind to accept criticism.

So, what can we learn from them that can improve patient care?

First, the approach is to improve regularly and not to stay in the comfort zone. This can be achieved by reading, thinking, retraining and self-reassessing frequently. Secondly, keeping a mentor and asking for help is an important strategy to improve. The Masters have mastered this trait. Asking for help, keeping ego aside, will translate into pursuing excellence ultimately. Finally, the conservatives and the society at large is always resistant to change in the beginning. The proponents of change are always looked as disrupters and challengers rather than free thinkers. It is probably common to all disciplines and from times immemorial. However, the passion of these masters seem to be undeterred, in speaking what they think is right, with these upheavals. The Masters can somehow ignore individual interests and short term goals and can look at the BIGGER picture with clarity.

Personally, travel and meeting these greats has made an enormous impact on my life. It has brought humility, passion, focus and clarity in my work as a surgeon. I question myself more often in how I decide and operate, everyday and introspect on self-improvement.

It has also led me to believe that a hospital may not be the best way to dispense health. But that topic is best left for another day!

Aug 18 Comments Off

Bariatric Surgery Can Help The Obese Infertile

Posted by Dr. Sarfaraz Jalil Baig

Infertility in females is a growing problem. Statistics show that one in six couples are infertile. Forty percent of the problem lies in the females. One of the major influence or contributor to this problem is obesity. If you look around or visit a fertility center, one would know that many of the patients are overweight or obese. It comes as no surprise as obesity is now fast becoming the number one problem in the world. So why is obesity so important in fertility? Body fat is nowadays considered an endocrine organ responsible for producing various hormones. Some of these hormones work like birth control pills. Hence the eggs production and release are impaired and results in infertility. This phenomenon is also seen in a condition called PCOD (polycystic ovarian disease), a major cause of infertility. Another important and interesting observation seen in obese individuals is that some of the severely obese individuals are unable to perform a normal sexual act because of the sea of fat which hides the external genitalia. It is also evident from medical research that assisted reproduction (fertility treatment) is less likely to succeed in obese individuals.So how does one help these infertile ladies with obesity? Since obesity is the root cause of such infertility, it would be natural to consider that weight loss would logically improve the chances of fertility in these subjects. As a matter of fact this does happen in clinical practice. Medical literature and researches are showing that weight loss is associated with improved chances of fertility either naturally or by assisted reproduction.What is the role of Bariatric Surgery in infertility?Weight loss achieved either by adoption of diet and lifestyle or by weight loss surgery (Bariatric Surgery) in cases of severe obesity have both shown favorable outcome. A new study of morbidly obese women suggests that Bariatric surgery may effectively treat one of the most common causes of infertility i.e. PCOD. It is noted that 50% of infertile women conceived within 2 years of their Bariatric surgery. Even the increased risk of miscarriage in obese women may decline after Bariatric surgery. Additionally, the risks of complications during pregnancy such as diabetes, hypertension are also diminished.’,

Know more about Bariatric Surgery through this video on YouTube.

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So, what can we learn from them that can improve patient care?