A Mauritian weighing 410 kg underwent bariatric surgery at Indore and became the first in the super-obese category to survive the procedure.
Dharamveer, 46, was operated on January 4 at Mohak Hospital, and lost 30 kg immediately after the procedure. Dharamveer was turned away by hospitals in Mauritius because they believed the risk was too great. He had to book three business-class seats in Mauritius Airlines to fly to Mumbai. An Indian airline operators refused to accommodate him in a flight to Indore and he had to be brought by road in a specially designed car.
Mohak Hospital director and chief surgeon Dr. Mohit Bhandari said that Dharamveer had all complications associated with obesity — like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, pulmonary artery hypertension and acanthosis (thickening of skin). He was refused care by federal hospitals of Mauritius as they were concerned about the anesthesia risk. They refused him basic obesity care and referred him to a higher centre. Dharamveer was confined to a bed in his room for 5 years. He had a very rapid weight regain in the last six months before surgery.
Dr Bhandari said:
It was one of the most challenging cases of my life as there was a dilemma in considering the patient for surgery. The surgery itself was difficult as a special bariatric table, able to bear 500 kg, extra-long instruments, and special surgical staplers were required
The super-obese, weighing over 400 kg, have a high risk of developing cardiac arrest after surgery, so the decision to operate upon Dharamveer was a daunting one. Dr. Bhandari informed that the torque on hands during surgery was immense and three instruments broke down due to the intense abdominal wall thickness. Dharamveer underwent a gastric bypass surgery that creates a pouch and bypasses part of the intestine. Usually, gastric bypass patients lose 80% of excess weight in 2-3 years and should be free of all comorbidities.
