Ahmedabad offers bariatric surgery sans any cuts

A new procedure of bariatric surgery offered in the city promises to help control your hunger pangs sans any scratch or marks on your body. Unlike the routine practise where the bariatrician punctures in and around your abdomen to access the stomach to reduce its size, the gastroscopic bariatric procedure does not involve any cuts on your body.

"Here an endoscopic method is used where the surgeons access the stomach through the mouth. The suturing is done with the help of instruments that are induced through the mouth. As a result there is no need for cut on any body parts as is often the case with the routine form of bariatric laparoscopic surgery," said Dr Rupesh Mehta, a gastrointestinal surgeon. He said this procedure is beneficial for those who want to lose 10 to 15 kg of weight and has a body mass index of 30.

"Often those who are looking to lose weight want to lose around 10 to 15 kg and not 50 kg. This surgery involves reducing the stomach to one-third of its size," said Dr Mehta. "This is like a day procedure and patient can go home the same day unlike the normal bariatric surgery, where the patient has to be in hospital for at least three to four days. There are no side effects like diarrhea, vomiting etc. Since it is minimally invasive, the risk of complications are very low," said Dr Mehta.

He added that this method was first introduced in the year 2014- 15, is gaining traction across the world. As of now India has four centres that offer this surgery including Ahmedabad.

He said that most of the patients who approach him are often victims of excessive eating. "Many believe that it is a genetic condition but my observation is that it is often a result of overeating without any exercise. I know patients whose family including their pets are obese," he said.