Man weighing 200kg dies after weight loss surgery

An Arab young man, in his 30s, died just few days after he had a gastric bypass surgery in a local hospital here.
According to medical sources, the Saqr Hospital refused to do the operation for 200kg heavy Palestinian young man, who was suffering severe obesity, despite his repetitive request.
"The bariatric surgery proved to be a grave risk for the young man due to his unfit health conditions."
It has not been identified if the death of the victim was a result of the gastric bypass surgery, the sources added. Meanwhile, the Saqr Hospital brought a new hope for patients with severe obesity and announced performing 25 successful bariatric or weight loss surgeries last year.
Dr Yusuf Al Tair, general manager of Saqr Hospital, said, the visiting Swedish doctor, Dr Almantas Makselis trained three staff consultant surgeons to carry out these much-needed operations for patients with severe obesity.
"The hospital performed 25 bariatric surgeries for people weighing over 180kg under the supervision of the visiting Swedish doctor."
Disclosing, Dr Al Tair said the hospital is geared up to carry out this weight loss surgery on a weekly basis. "However, only non-diabetic patients and those who are not suffering any cardiac or kidney diseases, or blood pressure are eligible for performing this important operation."
Patients should also be between 18 and 60 years old to be medically fit and not to be negatively affected by anesthetic during the operation, he added.
"Patients shall then be shifted to the cosmetic and plastic surgery for doing an abdomen cosmetic operation, including liposuction and skin tightening."
"The surgeon reduces the size of the stomach with a gastric band or through the removal of a portion of the stomach or by resecting and re-routing the small intestine to a small stomach pouch."
Long-term studies show that the bariatric surgery causes significant long-term loss of weight, recovery from diabetes, and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, Dr Al Tair added.
"The bariatric surgery has also reduced mortality from 40 to 23 per cent."
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com