-Mohali, April 27, 2025: Doctors at the Department of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Fortis Hospital Mohali, have given a new lease of life to a 21-year-old man, who weighed 210 kgs and suffered from co-morbidities – Borderline diabetes (Pre-Diabetes) and sleep apnea, by performing a successful Robot-Aided Bariatric Surgery, also known as weight-loss surgery or metabolic surgery. The surgery was performed under the clinical guidance of Dr Vitish Singla, Consultant, Department of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Fortis Hospital Mohali.
From last couple of years, the patient had been in the pre-diabetic stage and was suffering from sleep apnea. If sleep apnea is not treated on time, it would further lead to pulmonary complications, hypertension and cardiac ailments in the later stages of his life. As he was gaining weight over time and was experiencing difficulty in performing his daily routine, he visited Fortis Mohali with a hope to get back to his healthier self.The initial medical investigations revealed that the body weight of the patient is 210-kgs with Body Mass Index (BMI) of 74 kg/m2, which indicated that the patient was highly obese.
Dr Singla conducted Robot-Aided Bariatric Surgery (Sleeve gastrectomy) through which the size of the stomach pouch was reduced by 80%. The surgery lasted for 1.5 hours. His blood glucose levels stabilized within 24 hours post-operatively, and there has been a notable improvement in his obstructive sleep apnea following the surgery. The patient had a smooth post-operative recovery. He was able to walk 6 hours after the surgery, was kept on oral liquids and was discharged on the second day post the surgery. The patient is expected to lose around 100 kgs over a period of the next 12-18 months with the help of the surgery.
Dr Guneet and Dr Gunjeet from Anesthesia team conducted the anesthesia smoothly. The patient did not require any ventilator support or ICU stay.
Discussing the case, Dr Singla, said, “We performed Bariatric Surgery because his BMI was more than 35 kg/m2 along with comorbidities. The latest indications of bariatric surgery include a BMI of more than 30kg/m2 along with obesity related comorbidities or a BMI of more than 35kg/m2 regardless of presence or absence of comorbidities. It has been observed that Asian population is more prone to visceral obesity (fat mainly in tummy region). Therefore, in Indian/ Asian population, patients with a BMI of more than 27.5 kg/m2 should be considered for Bariatric Surgery especially if there is associated Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. In such cases, restricted diet does not help in achieving long-term outcomes and does not lead to resolution of diabetes. Bariatric surgery is the most effective option for such patients as it leads to sustainable weight loss and cure of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.”
