43 woman this month | June 2012 | Combating Obesity ROYAL BAHRAIN HOSPITAL A chronic health problem on the rise is obesity — a result from an excess of fat exceeding the body’s physical needs. Obesity is constantly becoming a more common problem and is an issue with many health dangers. The consultant general surgeon of Royal Bahrain Hospital, Dr Stephen Angamuthu, explains that obesity almost always leads to a number of chronic health conditions; “Some examples are cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type two diabetes, pulmonary dysfunction, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease and even breast and colon cancer,” he explains. The doctor goes on to explain that shedding all of the excess fat through diet and exercise is achievable, but can be extremely difficult. Instead he offers another solution; “Bariatric surgery is the perfect option for those who want the full and permanent solution if a conservative line fails. Millions of people worldwide have undergone bariatric surgery successfully. As a matter of fact, in most cases, the risks that arise from remaining obese are greater than that of undergoing surgery,” the doctor says. The surgery itself is performed at RBH, where the teams of experts have adopted modern, minimally-invasive techniques to be used whenever the case allows it. Change Your Life Dr Stephen gives an example of one of his patients, (who has given permission to publish his results) a 42 year old man, weighing at 127.8 kg with a BMI of 44.7. The patient went under lap-sleeve gastrectomy after careful diagnosis of his case, which included back aches, knee joint paint and difficulty breathing after minor exercise. “This is a minimally invasive procedure, which is so simple, that he was able to be discharged the next day to continue his normal life. This procedure reduces the stomach to 25 per cent of its original size, giving him a chance to start over,” states Dr Stephen. During the patient’s follow-up, a month after surgery, a very visible transformation was seen. With minor dieting and simple life-style changes, fantastic results were achieved. “When we weighed him, he weighed 112 kg and his BMI went down to 39.2! He just lost 15 kg in one month with the back ache and knee pain fading away. He is active now, with no breathing problems, even after 30 minutes of walking, something which he could not dream of before the surgery,” he explains. In order to combat the rising rate of obesity in Bahrain, Dr Stephen recommends everyone to assess their weight and choose their options. “If you choose bariatric surgery, you will finally see all the beneficial effects it will have on your health, which have been confirmed by numerous studies. The average weight loss expected over three years is 62 per cent of the excess weight,” concludes the surgeon. Call 17 246-800 or visit www.royalbahrainhospital.com. Dr Stephen, patient one week after surgery and RBH director Jacob Thomas
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