New Delhi: A 16-year-old boy from UP’s Muzaffarnagar, weighing nearly 275 kg and BMI close to 100, has undergone a high-risk laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital after severe obesity left him with breathing difficulty, obstructive sleep apnoea and extensive skin infection.The teenager had become so large that he could not fit into a conventional car and had to be brought to the hospital in a Matador. On admission, he required nearly two weeks in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for respiratory and other complications.His case was assessed by nearly 20 specialists across critical care, bariatric surgery, gastroenterology, cardiology and anaesthesia, who evaluated the surgical and respiratory risks before deciding that bariatric surgery was the best option.The surgery was performed by Dr Daksh Sethi, Dr Sudhir Kalhan, Dr Mukund Khetan and Dr Suviraj John of Institute of Minimal Access, Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.“This was not a routine bariatric operation. The patient’s age, weight and severe sleep apnoea meant that every step had to be carefully planned,” said Dr Sethi, lead bariatric surgeon.The teenager recovered well after the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and was discharged three days after surgery.The early weight loss has been substantial. About two months after surgery, his weight fell from around 275 kg to 223 kg, a reduction of nearly 52 kg.Doctors said the objective was not simply weight loss but to improve his breathing, mobility and long-term health, while reducing obesity-related risks, including sleep apnoea and metabolic and cardiovascular complications.“In a patient this young with such severe obesity, our priority was to look beyond immediate weight loss and focus on improving his quality of life,” said Dr Kalhan, chairperson, Institute of Minimal Access, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.Dr Sethi said bariatric surgery at such a young age is “never a decision taken lightly”, but the team considered the procedure after weighing the significant health risks associated with his extreme obesity.The teenager continues to remain under multidisciplinary follow-up and a structured weight-management programme.
