Laparoscopic Weight Loss Surgery for Severe Obesity – Who Are the Right Candidates? Introduction Severe obesity, also known as morbid obesity, can be defined as being around 45 kg above one’s ideal bodyweight, according to BMI (body mass index). Obesity in India has reached epidemic proportions in the 21st century, with morbid obesity affecting 5% of the country's population. This is a very worrying statistic. Obesity is associated with the development of life-threatening complications such as hypertension, diabetes and coronary artery disease, to name a few. There are numerous approaches to obesity which have been advocated, including low calorie diets, medication, behavioural modification and exercise therapy. However, the only treatment proven to be effective in long-term management of morbid obesity is surgical intervention i.e. weight loss surgery or bariatric surgery.
Weight Loss Surgery in India Weight loss surgery in India has gained a lot of momentum in the last two decades. The most popular of all weight loss surgeries or bariatric surgeries include vertical banded gastroplasty, gastric banding (adjustable or non-adjustable), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and malabsorption procedures (biliopancreatic diversion, duodenal switch). All of these surgeries are now performed with the help of laparoscopy, which is a minimally invasive surgery which involves only a few cuts on the abdomen, according to laparoscopic surgeons in Patna. As it minimizes the recovery time after the surgery, laparoscopy surgery in India is being used in a number of various surgical procedures these days.
Who Are the Right Candidates? Weight loss surgeons at the laparoscopic hospital in Patna follow certain guidelines to select patients for obesity surgery. These include:
Patient should exceed ideal body weight by approximately (45.5 kg) or 100% above ideal body weight. Patient should have no known metabolic (chemical breakdown of food into energy) or endocrine (hormone) causes for the morbid obesity. Patients should have a physical, psychological, social, or economic complication that might benefit from weight reduction. This includes hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, breathing problems or lung disease, sleep apnea and arthritis, to name a few. The patient should understand the full importance of the proposed surgical procedure including suspected risks and complications. The patient should be willing to be observed and followed by a medical professional for many years. The patient should have attempted weight reduction using medical treatment without success.