210-kg man gets bariatric surgery at A’bad hospital

Ahmedabad: Chetan Parmar, 41, a resident of Botad, gained 210kg in the last 10 years. His weight became a major problem, causing hindered movements, cardiovascular trouble, diabetes, sleep apnoea and other issues. He underwent the first of several surgeries planned for weight reduction at Civil Hospital last week.

The bariatric surgery was carried out by a surgical team of Dr Prashant Mehta, Dr Rakesh Makwana, and Dr Vikram Mehta, along with anaesthetists and other experts. Dr Mehta told TOI that normal body mass index (BMI) is 25, while Chetan’s was 73.

“The first surgery reduced his weight by 5kg immediately and he will lose about 130kg over the next few months. We faced many issues, ranging from needing to connect two operation tables to operate on him to devising ways to lower the risk of adverse effects under anaesthesia,” he said. “Even X-rays and blood pressure readings are difficult in such cases. We are happy that he will be able to return to normal life soon.”

Dr Rakesh Joshi, medical superintendent of Civil Hospital, said this was the heaviest patient to get bariatric surgery at the hospital. “Here we are providing surgeries at nominal cost. Those who have BMIs higher than 40 are fit candidates for this surgery. It’s also a long road to recovery, and is not for everyone. Treating doctors first try non-surgical ways to reduce weight,” he said.