Bariatric & Weight Loss Surgery
Obesity is a major global epidemic in recent times. According to WHO, in 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 650 million were obese. The worldwide prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled between 1975 and 2016.
Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. BMI is a measure of your weight with your height. Obesity is a disorder in which excess fat is accumulated in the body, which is a risk factor for diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and cancer. Obesity and weight gain in adults occur as a result of poor diet and lifestyle choices.
The Centre of Bariatric Surgery at Continental Hospitals is one of the best hospitals for bariatric surgery in Hyderabad. Bariatric surgery is recommended for individuals who have severe obesity, have not been able to lose weight or keeping gaining weight which they have lost by lifestyle changes or medical treatment.
Morbid obesity or severe obesity is when a person has an extreme amount of excess body fat and a body mass index (BMI) greater than 35. It is also called grade 3 of obesity. A morbidly obese person is at greater risk of getting diseases and they have problems of doing daily normal activities such as walking and breathing.
Bariatric surgery is recommended for persons having severe obesity and it helps people to lose weight. Bariatric surgery is considered one of the options to lose weight. There are three types of Bariatric surgery procedures, which are gastric bypass, gastric banding, and sleeve gastrectomy.
There are new surgical techniques for weight loss surgery. One of them is a minimally invasive bariatric surgery that involves the use of a laparoscope or a robot in the surgical procedure. Minimally invasive bariatric surgery or Minimal access bariatric surgery is used to treat severe obesity in patients by taking small incisions or without making any external incisions.
Why Choose Continental Hospitals for Bariatric or Weight Loss Surgery?
The Centre of Bariatric Surgery at Continental Hospitals, Hyderabad is led by doctors who have extensive knowledge and experience in doing Bariatric surgery on obese patients and have performed more than 1000 bariatric surgeries.
We have some of the best bariatric surgeons in Hyderabad who performs minimally invasive bariatric surgeries that require a shorter hospital stay, less scarring and greater recovery time. The multidisciplinary team of doctors, surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists, and counselors will guide the patients in every aspect of the weight-loss surgical procedure so that the patient can make an informed decision about his/her health.
The gastroenterologists at Continental Hospitals have been awarded nationally and have immense respect among the international society of Gastroenterologists for their innovative work in the field of Laparoscopy and Bariatric Surgery making this the best hospital for the treatment of obesity in Hyderabad. The team in the Centre of Bariatric Surgery at Continental Hospitals is passionate about their work and is dedicated to providing complete care to patients, who are suffering from obesity. Our counselors provide counseling to the patients who will undergo bariatric surgery for the treatment of obesity by discussing the benefits of the surgery and the post-operative care that is to be followed by the patients after surgery.
The serene and friendly atmosphere of the doctors and staff in the Centre of Bariatric Surgery at Continental Hospitals guides and helps individuals who are anxious about being overweight and are looking for methods and ways to lose weight. These patients are given a detailed plan to lose weight by the consulting doctors at Continental Hospitals.
How are Obesity & Overweight diagnosed?
There are some tests to diagnose obesity and overweight diagnosis, which are:
- Physical examination: includes checking a person’s height, weight, parameters like blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, examining the abdomen
- BMI: the most common test to diagnose whether a person is obese or overweight is by calculating the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI helps to estimate the amount of body fat by comparing a person’s weight to his or her height.
For an adult-If, the BMI ranges from
- 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight
- 30.0 to 39.9 is considered obese
- 40.0 and higher is considered extremely obese
In children and teens, the BMI is calculated in percentages
- Overweight if their BMI is between the 85th and 95th percentiles
- Obese if their BMI is at or higher than the 95th percentile
- Blood tests: include a cholesterol test, liver function test, thyroid test, fasting glucose, and other tests to determine if any health risks or diseases have developed in the person
- Other ways to diagnose obesity: Body fat is measured by waist circumference, calculation of waist-to-hip circumference ratios, measuring the thickness of a skin fold (a pinch of skin and fat), and techniques such as ultrasound
The doctors also additionally review a person’s medical history, weight loss efforts, lifestyle, diet, medications, stress levels and any other information that helps in diagnosing obesity. Another method to diagnose overweight in a person is by Body composition analyzer- it involves examining a person’s body to determine the percentage of body fat compared to muscle tissue. These tests help the doctor to develop a plan on how to reduce fat in specific areas, which in turn helps in reducing weight.
What are the different types of Bariatric Surgery?
Bariatric surgery is surgery on the stomach and/or intestines of a person with severe obesity. The bariatric surgery is usually done by either open surgery or laparoscopic surgery. The open surgery involves a single incision that opens the abdomen, which provides the surgeon access to the abdominal cavity.
The laparoscopic surgery is minimally invasive surgery in which a small video camera is inserted into the abdomen allowing the surgeon to conduct and view the procedure on a video monitor.
The types of bariatric surgery are:
- Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band (LAP-band)
This surgery requires the surgeon to place a ring with an inner inflatable band around the top of the stomach to create a small pouch. This procedure makes the patient feel full after eating a small amount of food and causes significant weight loss. It is a non-metabolic operation as it does not alter the body’s normal mechanisms that occur when dieting.
It is also called vertical sleeve gastrectomy, wherein a surgeon removes most of the stomach, leaving only a banana-shaped section that is closed with staples. Read more
It is also called a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. It consists of first, the surgeon stapling the stomach, creating a small pouch in the upper section followed by the surgeon cutting the small intestine and attaching the lower part of it directly to the small stomach pouch. The surgeon connects the bypassed section farther down to the lower part of the small intestine. Food then bypasses most of the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine so that the body absorbs fewer calories. Read more
It is also called the Band, which involves an inflatable band that is placed around the upper portion of the stomach, creating a small stomach pouch above the band, and the rest of the stomach below the band. This reduces the amount of food that the stomach can hold. Read more
- Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch (BPD/DS) Gastric Bypass
It is a procedure with 2 components. First, a smaller, tubular stomach pouch is created by removing a portion of the stomach, very similar to the sleeve gastrectomy. Next, a large portion of the small intestine is bypassed. Read more
- Duodenal jejunal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy
It is a type of bariatric procedure in which 80 percent of the stomach is removed and a portion of the small intestine is rerouted.
It is a temporary, nonsurgical procedure that involves placing a lightweight, gastric balloon in the stomach for up to six months to help produce a sense of fullness and reduce hunger. Read more
It is a newly USFDA-approved medical device that involves the implantation of electrodes onto the lower stomach to block the vagus nerves (known as VBLOC®) powered by a battery that is implanted under the skin of the abdominal wall.
How to prepare for Bariatric Surgery?
The patient is put on a strict calorie-controlled diet before the bariatric surgery procedure. If the patient is diabetic, diabetic medication is adjusted.
Certain tests carried out before the surgery is:
- A complete blood count
- Urine analysis
- Gallbladder ultrasound
•Post-Bariatric Surgery Care
Post-bariatric surgery, the patient has to be regularly checked by the gastroenterologist, who performed bariatric surgery. A medical weight-loss specialist is assigned to the patient, who designs the diet, medication, and exercise for the patient, who has undergone bariatric surgery.
Bariatric surgery and medical weight loss experts at Continental Hospitals treat all types of weight issues and metabolic disorders in a supportive environment. Our doctors are well-renowned gastroenterologists and laparoscopic surgeons who have performed numerous various weight reduction procedures like Gastric Band, Gastric Bypass and Gastric sleeve treatment on patients having severe obesity problems.
The doctors at Continental Hospitals provide high-quality care and ongoing support to its patients who undergo bariatric surgery in the capable hands of the best bariatric surgeon in Hyderabad. Our surgeons have received awards and recognition of their work throughout the world. They have been invited numerous times to the top, world-class universities to give guest lectures on the topic of bariatric surgery and other related topics. The surgeons at Continental Hospitals have specialized skills in treating patients with obesity by laparoscopic (Keyhole) surgery and provide world-class treatment to their patients. The patients at Continental Hospitals get the best guidance and counseling from the doctors on the procedures that are performed for the treatment of obesity.
Dr Mahidhar Valeti
MBBS, MS (Gen Surgery), FRCS (Eng), FRCS (Ireland), FICS (USA)
Director & HOD - Laparoscopic & Bariatric Surgery
Dr Ganesh Gorthi
FACS (US), FBS (UK), FALS in Robotic Surgery, (FRCS UK), MRCS (UK), MS (General Surgery)
HOD - Robotic Surgery & Senior Consultant - Surgical Gastroenterology
