Digestive Surgery Clinic Archives - Digestive Surgery Clinic

May 18 Comments Off

Back To The Basics

Posted by Dr. Sarfaraz Baig

If you look at the bigger picture, food, clothes and a house can be viewed as tools to survive. Purely functional at the basic level!

Food nourish us. Clothes shield us from the weather . House shelter us from the scorching sun, gusty winds and the bitter cold. It also provides a roof for relationships to foster.

That’s it! That’s our backpack for the journey called life!

How much of time and importance should we give to preparing the backpack than actually leading the beautiful path through the woods ?

A small proportion, right?

And yet modern life has convinced us somehow that buying the survival toolbox is the sole purpose of our lives.

Food can become something that is prepared with exotic fruits or a Lamb shipped from a particular region in the world and prepared by a gentleman who can add spice so perfectly that it excites the tongue like nothing before. And I forgot to mention, you may pay a hundred times more than what it takes to prepare it in the house.

Clothes in the primitive period was only a protecting rag and then evolved into a status symbol (a chieftain wore differently from a blacksmith). Jewellery and the fine silks became the legacy of the royalty. Modern life has taken “clothes make a man” very seriously and cinemas and ads have made us believe in the importance of clothing. Consequently, we spend a great deal on their purchases. Branded stuff can be our ticket to the uppermost class of the society and what would we not do to afford them? This does not stop here. Many of us spend a bomb ( I plead guilty) on ancillary fashion stuff like watches, bags, belts and shoes.

If there is one need of life that entices us to an extent that we can go crazy buying them, it’s a house. It can range from a one apartment residence to a palatial bungalow. The address also matters to the modern society. Our desires to embellish them has become so disproportionate to our income that sometimes it can drain our entire life’s earnings. Frequently, we take loans from our future to buy them. EMIs are not abnormal anymore but the new normal of living life. Even Darwin would wonder how a thatched hut has evolved so much!

Now I must admit that I love to eat good food, prefer to have a serene private space with books and a laptop (a diary would do too). I am also a man who loves adorning good clothes. And I have a good house with an open space that brings in the sunrise every morning

So I know a little bit of good living. And I have done my bit of struggle to buy all these. As human beings, we all want to improve our current status and there is nothing wrong with that.

However, this can become pathological if the struggle to get them becomes a lifelong process. There may be no end to fill this bottomless pit!

If we simply step back a little and examine our lives, we might see that these needs get overemphasis usually fuelled by peer pressure, comparisons and competition.

In this context, the Quran says beautifully – this World is a passing delight, a place of mutual boasting of riches and children!

We may not realise but our expenditure on basic needs can be low if the basic needs were indeed kept as basic. But it’s not. We are losing our purpose of existence with it. And the only people profiting are those who run these industries feeding the never-satisfied eternally-starving consumer.
Great minds have been talking about the merits of Minimalistic Living and the Joy of Less for ages. It is not about living frugally, rather it is being aware what is it that will make Living a gratifying experience.

Except for the very unfortunate who live in penury, Life cannot be an eternal struggle trying to afford these survival kits. Ideally, we should be able to backpack our things for our journey requiring no more than a little effort and then take off to enjoy this path called Life!

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.

Nov 21 Comments Off

Hernia Workshop At Philippines-An Experience Of A Lifetime.

Posted by Dr. Sarfaraz Baig

Recently I had an opportunity to visit the Philippines as an invited faculty for a Hernia workshop

The opportunity resulted when one of our trainees – Dr. Domingo Sampang- an extremely talented, skilful and kind-hearted surgeon who spent a couple of weeks with us at our centre, recommended our name to Dr. Alfred Allen Beunafe- the president of the Philippines Surgical Society.

Frankly, I was expecting a small training center attached to a private hospital in Manila. What I saw took me by surprise. There it was – a 4 story building with state of the art animal lab and a cadaveric station. The lecture hall was also well equipped as was the rooftop hall overlooking the stunning Manila skyline meant for refreshments.

I was stunned by the logistics and on enquiring, I found that this was a brainchild of none other than Dr. Alfred (I call him Allen now)

He was one of the pioneers in advanced laparoscopic surgery in his region and was enthusiastic even then to spread the knowledge and skills that he was acquired from the world over

This led him to start a nationwide tour where he would visit a surgeon in provinces and teach and train them free of cost

When he joined a premier private hospital in Manila he ensured that his spirit of imparting training did not end and ensured the creation of this state of the art training centre

I was also amazed at the energy Allen possesses. After a long day of clinical work involving multiple operations and training, he goes home way past midnight and sleeps as less as 4 hours (please don’t try this, I don’t recommend it) and is up again with full vigour and passion to lead the life.

Over a lunch the day after the workshop, I asked him and his lovely wife the reason behind the cheerfulness, contentment, and happiness that Allen has despite these long schedules

And Allen said – I love to give what I receive

And that line explained to me crystal clear why this man was happier than a lot many despite his mad rush.

He was interested not only in TAKING knowledge and learning skills, but he was also eager to GIVE it away too.

This way he contributed to his community of surgeons eager to learn from him. He was full of gratitude for those who taught him and received it manifolds from whom he trained

Probably that weaved a web of positive energy all around him keeping him and his companions always happy, always positive.

People like Allen make this world a better place to live in.

They know the value of the gift of GIVING!

Mar 07 Comments Off

Types Of Bariatric Surgeries

Posted by Dr. Sarfaraz Jalil Baig

India ranks third in terms of having obese individuals only after US and China. One in every five Indian is either overweight or obese.

However, the medical science has evolved a lot and so is the treatment procedure to deal with obesity. Weight loss surgery is the failsafe method to resolve obesity that generally lasts a lifetime.

The weight-loss surgery reduces the overall weight by making a permanent change to its digestive system surgically. These surgeries are carried out by either reducing the size of the stomach to limit the amount of food intake or by dissecting and re-routing the small intestine to reduce the nutrient absorption. However, the most effective approach uses both these principles.0

Let’s understand the four most common weight loss procedure-

1. Lap Band

The stomach is tied with a silicone band and divided into a smaller pouch on top, leaving behind the larger pouch in the bottom. The food intake gets stored only in the upper small pouch, thus it restricts the amount of food one can eat. The size of the pouch can be further adjusted by changing the amount of saline water through a port placed under the skin. After desired weight gain is achieved, the band can be removed.

2. Gastric Sleeves

The stomach is resized up to 15% of its original size. The resection is made along the larger curvature of the stomach. The smaller part is then stapled and the larger part is then removed. The reduced stomach size ensures the person consumes the much lesser amount of food.

3. Gastric Bypass

The stomach is divided into a smaller top pouch on top and a larger portion on the bottom. The small intestine is dissected and rerouted in between and it is connected to the smaller stomach pouch. The larger portion of the stomach still produces digestive enzymes, and it meets the semi-digested food in the small intestine instead of the stomach to ensure lesser absorption of nutrients into the body.

4. Duodenal Switch

The stomach is reduced by 25 percent of its actual shape. It is done vertically to obtain a banaba shaped thin stomach. The larger portion of the stomach is stapled and removed. The small intestine is also rerouted and connected to the banana-shaped stomach. The remaining part of the small intestine is left intact as it still produces digestive enzymes. This reduces the overall amount of food intake and ensures less absorption of nutrient by the body.

At Digestive Surgery Clinic, most of the weight-loss surgeries are done by laparoscopic approach.

Mar 07 Comments Off

How To Choose Your Doctor?

Posted by Dr. Sarfaraz Jalil Baig

In a unique event on Sunday 23rd July at the Hotel Taj Bengal, organized by Dr. Sarfaraz J Baig, who played the moderator, it was discussed amongst eminent panelists on “how to choose a doctor?”

Indeed, nobody ponders to think about it. The majority of us go by recommendations from our family doctor, relative or friend. This was what was echoed by panelists. Some believed, that a certain amount of research and a doctor-patient connect is essential before initiating treatment.

Mr. Vivek Gupta, MP Rajya Sabha and Editor, Sanmarg, “believed that he would trust the judgment of his physician to rate the competence of the specialist”.

Jimmy Tangree, the producer of Friends FM, “stressed that good communication skills in a doctor were important to him to make his choice”.

Shreya Pande, an actress, said: “she believed in her colleagues more than Google in selecting her doctor”.

Nandita Pal Chaudhuri, a social entrepreneur, “felt that the cost should be reasonable to allow the masses to select a good specialist”.

Shubhra Shah, an author, “underlined the importance of polite and compassionate behavior in a doctor as a pre requisite for selection”.

Mansi Poddar, a psychologist, “believed that doctors are stressed and overworked and that is one of the reasons why they may appear too blunt or even robotic in their approach sometimes”.

Mr. Pradip Tandon, CEO, Belle Vue, “emphasized that for a better outcome, patients should select specialists and super specialists that is now available in most hospitals”.

Alokananda Roy, dancer and philanthropist, “reminded the house that doctors are humans after all. She said that patients should be patient with their doctor and kindness in the society will go a long way in improving doctor-patient relationship and treatment outcome”.

Dr. Sarfaraz J Baig wrapped up the session by explaining that medicine is an inexact science, diseases and treatment are complex more often than not.

He stressed that patient should make an informed choice by doing some research and then take a leap of faith.

He recommended that patient’s s should not fall for advertisements and stories on the social media.

Instead, they should focus on ABCDE.

A for availability
B for behavior
C for competence and core team
D for degree
E for expertise

If one needed a specialist, one should check on how available the doctor is, especially if one is treating chronic diseases such as obesity and cancer. In a study from Harvard, it was seen that a doctor’s behavior was more important than his competence when it came to making a doctor’s choice. Competence can be checked by seeing if the doctor has publications or speaks in conferences. Authenticity of degree should be checked in the current age. Expertise or specialization is the new mantra for good outcome.

Dr. Hari Prasad Kanoria, industrialist and philanthropist, summarized that we all need to be practical in our approach to choosing a doctor.

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Aug 04 Comments Off

How To Choose Your Doctor – A Patient Education Program

Posted by Dr. Sarfaraz Jalil Baig

The medicine and medical professionals have always been treated with utmost respect in every corner of the world, irrespective of the race, ethnicity, culture, religion or economic strata. However, the number of diseases affecting humankind are increasing both in numbers as well as in complexity.

In these rising medical challenging scenario, there comes a time or two when people get started with too many medical facilities and doctors, each claiming to be the best one. Often things do not end well, as not every healthcare facility or doctor is proficient in addressing and responding to every medical need.

To help people make the right call amidst of chaos, a public awareness program was organized at Taj Bengal, Kolkata, by the Digestive Surgery Clinic, under the guidance of Chairperson Dr. H.P. Kanoria. The moderator of this event was Dr. Sarfaraz J Baig, Surgical Gastroenterologist and Bariatric surgeon, and Director of Digestive Surgery Clinic, Belle Vue. This event was also supported by NGO ‘Faces’.

A total of 300 guests were present at this event along with an expert panel and special guests consisting of Vivek Gupta, June Maliah, Shreya Pande, Shubhra Shah Agarwal, Jimmy Tangree, and many more. Each of these guests had a meaningful contribution towards the same.

This awareness program covered almost all the aspects, particularly the psychological evaluation of the patients and their family members go through during the process of selecting the best doctor for themselves. These closely involve the role of word of mouth, the recommendation of closed ones and additional services offered by the healthcare provider.

The most debatable medical related facets such as ‘Are the best doctors available only in the big, overpriced hospital?’, ‘Is outcome the sole indicator of a doctor’s competence?’ were discussed thoroughly. Moreover, other obvious facets like the qualification of the doctor, the past success rate, availability etc. have also been covered.

All these aspects were discussed in order to help people make the right move in the time of need. In a nutshell, it was a successful event, which added value to each and every member to lead a better and healthier life ahead.

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