Local News
by Mandeep Singh , Posted on » Wednesday, May 23, 2012
A SEVERELY obese Bahraini who weighed in at 270kg is looking forward to embarking on a new life thanks to doctors at Ibn Al Nafees Hospital, in Zinj. He is now about to undergo life-changing gastric bypass surgery after doctors at the facility removed a 22kg growth hanging from his stomach.
Mohammed Abdul Amir, 32, had been turned away by other hospitals after being told the procedure was too risky, according to consultant plastic surgeon and surgical team leader Dr Raj Kumar Gang.
He said the complicated operation last week has not only caused his weight to drop to 230kg, it also means some of the region’s leading hospitals will now be willing to accept him as a patient to undergo the weight-loss procedure.
“It was a risky procedure which some top hospitals had refused to do,” said Dr Gang.
“When I examined him, I decided to help him and took the risk knowing it could be a big gamble.”
He said in addition to being severely obese, Mohammed’s condition was made more complicated by the massive growth that he carried.
“It was a huge inconvenience and prevented him from doing anything,” added Dr Gang.
“Wherever he went he was told they were unable to help him because of the growth.”
Mr Amir actually works in the Ibn Al Nafees Hospital’s human resources department, but because he was seeking a weight-loss procedure not carried out at the facility he never thought to book in for an appointment.
However, when he did walk into Dr Gang’s clinic an examination revealed the growth could be removed.
“I was appalled at the man’s agony,” he said.
“He was carrying all that weight as if tied to his stomach.
“He could barely move and would get breathless as soon as he started to walk. In addition, he also started getting severe infections.”
However, he revealed mr Amir was first examined by three different cardiologists and anaesthetists, who all gave the green light for surgery to go ahead.
“He was operated upon under a combination of general and spinal anaesthesia in an operation lasting seven hours,” he said, adding a huge hernia was also discovered and repaired.
Mr Amir started gaining weight at the age of 10, possibly due to hormonal changes.
“At the age of 22, he started to have this growth and that started affecting his heart and lungs,” explained Dr Gang.
“He has been travelling from one country to another and seeing doctors everywhere, with no-one willing to take on his case fearing the risk involved.”
However, two days after the operation mr Amir was out of intensive care.
He visited Dr Gang yesterday along with his wife Fatima, who also works at the hospital, and said he was excited at the prospect of leading a normal life.
“I am very glad someone could help me and I am happier it’s my own hospital that has come to my assistance,” he said.
He described how he struggled on in pain for years before finally going under the knife.
“At many times I was in severe pain, but now it’s all over,” he said.
“I will soon go in for bariatric surgery, which will hopefully make me live a normal life.”
Mr Amir has two children, a seven-year-old son and an eight-year-old daughter.
None of his relatives suffer from obesity.
The team responsible for his surgery included head of anaesthesia and consultant Dr Mohammedd Usman and general surgeons Dr D C Patil and Dr Arun Kannan, assisted by consultant anaesthetist Dr Ahmed El Saily and specialist anaesthetist Dr Siddiqqi Mateen Mohammed. mandeep@gdn.com.bh
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