Pune:
Life will begin on a new chapter for 16-year-old Maheep Singh (name changed), who underwent a complex obesity surgery at Ruby Hall Clinic and shed more than 20kg in just three months after the surgery.
Maheep who weighed 100kg, is a bright student who passed class X with good scores. Her FYJC classes would begin from August 8 but her apprehensions were only about being teased by her peers in college. Despite continuous efforts, she was unable to lose weight following which her mother took her to a doctor.
Maheep's doctor, Dr Jayshree Todkar, bariatric surgeon at Ruby Hall Clinic said, "Medical examinations revealed that Maheep had polycystic ovaries and hyperestrogenism owing to increase in male hormones and unnecessary facial hair. Her insulin levels were high and she was glucose intolerant. Maheep showed pre-diabetes symptoms; hence it became important to operate her to avoid further complications." The 16-year-old underwent a sleeve gastrectomy surgery in which a part of her stomach was stapled.
Maheep now weighs about 80 kg is happy with her new look. "She is more confident and active. Earlier she had trouble indulging in physical activities, now, she's bubbling with energy and can't wait to go to college," said Todkar.
While Maheep needed the surgery for medical reasons, doctors say that obesity surgeries are not uncommon. "I have operated on children between 14 years to 17 years of age. Obesity is a metabolic problem. Adolescents with such problems need to lose weight to avoid risks associated with obesity." Increasing changes in lifestyle resulting in less physical activity is contributing to rising obesity among the youth, Todkar added.
Dr Shrihari Dhorepatil, bariatric surgery chief at Jehangir hospital said, "We never perform surgeries for cosmetic purposes. Obesity surgeries are done to improve quality of life or lessen the risk factors. I operated on a 16-year-old weighing 140 kg because he couldn't even walk, and after the surgery he was able to resume to a normal lifestyle." But these days, the numbers are very high. Today's sedentary lifestyle also contributes to the rising obesity epidemic," added Dhorepatil who operates on 2-3 teenage patients every month.
Rs 2.5-3 lakh - Cost of investigations and sleeve gastrectomy operation