8 years old boy’s breathing was interrupted for longer than 10 seconds and 5 times per hour

28th February 2023, New Delhi: An 8-year-old boy from Saudi Arabia with weight 84 kg, height 4 feet and BMI (57.2kg/m2) was suffering from MORBID OBESITY with OSA (OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNOEA). OSA was so severe that he could not sleep in night and has to be awake whole night. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a life-threatening condition which is associated with morbid obesity. Patient have apnea sleep (Air hunger) in night and feel sleepy throughout day and can be life threatening. It requires BiPAP machine to sleep overnight. It can be treated by losing weight with bariatric surgery and BiPAP machine can be removed in most patients as early as first week following surgery.

He was very much addicted to chocolates and fast food. He came to INDIA for help. He was advised psychological and pediatric Endocrinologist counseling but his family after meeting them wanted some definitive, fast result procedure to save his life. They wanted him to undergo BARIATRIC SURGERY and met Dr Rajat Goel at Rosewalk Hospital for same. Bariatric (Metabolic or Life style modification) SURGERY is like laparoscopic Surgery, like gall bladder or hernia or appendix surgery requiring 4 to 5 key holes to perform it.

Dr Rajat Goel refused surgery due to age of child and was not sure whether child will be able to understand post-operative dietary protocol. Because the youngest age for Bariatric surgery usually advised at the age of 14 and it is normal for the patients above 18 years. His family was counselled about the procedure and all its pros and cons for 1 month but since Child was having severe OSA (breathing is interrupted during sleep, for longer than 10 seconds at least 5 times per hour throughout your sleep period), and was advised BiPAP machine to breath which he could not tolerate, patient was taken for Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy after anesthesia and other clearances and informed consent.

The child lost 10 kg of weight in 1week time and could sleep easily without need of BiPAP machine. Due to hormonal changes after surgery he stopped eating chocolates and was counseled by dietician along with his family for healthy lifestyle like 40 minutes activity daily and healthy food intake. BARIATRIC SURGERY done on right patient at right time can be like saving with long lasting results. Life after surgery is like patient becoming a new born baby with new taste and control over eating which lasts for 6 months and all eating habits can be reformed due to hormonal changes in bariatric surgery.

It not only improves physical health and treats/ controls all diseases associated with obesity like type 2 DM, HT, OSA, PCOS, FATTY LIVER and lot more but also improves mental (depression, inferiority complex, anxiety, eating disorders associated with obesity) and social life. To summarize surgery gives you a second chance to live life in a healthy way.