Bariatric surgery, an innovative treatment procedure for people suffering from obesity and diabetics is fast catching up among patients in Hyderabad. According to Dr. Mahidhar Valeti, senior consultant, Bariatric and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery at Nova Specialty Hospitals, this innovative surgery has no side effects and can give fairly gives good results by successfully curing patients suffering from uncontrolled diabetics in a very short span of time.
For obese people whose blood sugar levels are way out of control, bariatric surgery offers a new ray of hope. The procedure is designed to make patients lose weight by making changes to their digestive system so that they eat less, and absorption of nutrients by the body is drastically reduced. It can provide a more effective and long-lasting treatment for diabetes and obesity than the standard therapies of drugs, diet and exercise.
Citing a successful example of bariatric surgery, Dr Mahidhar pointed out that S Nair a forty three-year-old patient who was obese and suffered from uncontrollable diabetics for 15 years was successfully cured in just 12 days. By doing this unique procedure the doctors could bring the insulin levels to normal in a very short span of time.
According to the doctor, Gastric Sleeve Resection is the most popular type of bariatric surgery because it generally has fewer complications than other weight loss surgeries. In this, the size of the stomach is made smaller. As a result, the person feels full after eating much smaller quantities of food, leading to weight loss. Bariatric surgery is performed by laparoscopy or keyhole surgery. The other procedure for Weight loss is the gastric bypass. In this the stomach is not only made smaller but also bypassed. The person eats less and the eaten food is less absorbed. With advances in science, it is today considered one of the safest medical procedures of the abdomen. The patient is usually discharged 24 hours after surgery.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the US Government has also recognized bariatric surgery as the only effective treatment to combat severe obesity and maintain weight loss in the long term. It is recommended if the body mass index (BMI) is 36 or higher, or if it is more than 32 with uncontrolled diabetes. Bariatric surgery results in significant weight loss that can be sustained over years. Only 10 per cent of the patients gain excess weight after bariatric surgery compared to 98 per cent who reduce weight through diet and exercise.
Many medical experts are now recommending bariatric surgery as an early treatment option for people with uncontrolled diabetes.
Even the Government of India has recognized bariatric surgery and passed an order in November 2013, accepting reimbursements for bariatric surgery.