A 40-year-old political science teacher from Giridih has apparently become the first person to undergo a weight-loss surgery in Jharkhand, bringing into focus how morbid obesity needs clinical supervision to keep life-taking diseases at bay.
Vivekanand, who teaches at Jagdish Prasad Kushawaha College, weighed 110kg before he underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), an advanced bariatric surgery, at Medica Superspeciality Hospital in Bariatu, Ranchi, on February 8. He is now efficiently battling the bulge and will be discharged on Wednesday.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, bariatric surgeon Dr (Major) Ramesh Das, who operated on Vivekanand, called it a highly successful surgery and the state's first.
"My patient was able to walk without any complication soon after the surgery. He will remain on liquid diet for two weeks and then has to eat semi-solid food for another 10 days," the surgeon said.
LSG is a restrictive procedure that reduces the size of the stomach and limits food intake. It involves making small incisions in the abdomen and performing the procedure using a laparoscope and other instruments. During LSG, about 75 per cent of the stomach is removed leaving a narrow gastric "sleeve". The LSG takes one to two hours to complete.
Vivekanand was a happier man on Tuesday. Perhaps for two reasons. One, he was no longer ashamed of his body. Two, the surgery did not weigh too heavy on his pocket.
"I was 110kg. A free medical camp helped me decide on the surgery. Now, my weight is under control and I can maintain it. I was obese because I ate too much, but now I shall follow a fitness regime, which will include brisk walking," the political science teacher said.
The surgery at Medica, Ranchi, cost him around Rs 2 lakh while the same in metros can leave one poorer by Rs 5 lakh.
Shedding light on obesity, surgeon Das said people with a body mass index (BMI) of 38 or higher are said to be morbidly obese. "It affects their normal life and they are at risk of diabetes, heart attacks and even cancer."
