On Thursday, the World’s heaviest woman from Egypt underwent her first bariatric surgery in Mumbai at the Saifee Hospital. This process has a scientific term of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. It reduces the size of the stomach by 75% and leaves a narrow ‘sleeve’ for digesting food.
A spokesperson said, “She is now on oral fluids and accepting them well. The future course of action for the medical team working on her will be to correct all her associated medical problems, and to get her fit enough to fly back to Egypt as soon as possible.”
Eman (36,) who weighed an estimated 500 kgs was flown to Mumbai in a special cargo aircraft. She was flown in February to undergo medical treatment for weight reduction. With a BMI of 252, which was ten times higher than the normal mark, she measured 151 cm in width. The lift of hospital was 141cm which made it impossible to shift her to the operation theater.
To make this possible, doctors put her on a high fiber and protein diet so as to reduce her water weight, which was 70-100 kgs of her body weight. With a strict 1200 calorie per day diet, Eman lost 120 kilos since her arrival in Mumbai.
Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala, a bariatric surgeon treating the Alexandria based woman, said: “We will attempt to reduce at least 200 kgs in the first six months.” The weight reduced after this surgery is yet to be assessed. According to doctors, Eman was given anesthesia and operated upon for more than two hours. A spokesperson said, “The surgery went uneventfully.” She is currently put under observation and is in post operative care.
The doctors also said that they were waiting for genetic test reports of Eman so as to decide if a genetic disorder is responsible for her obesity. As no one else in the family is obese doctors suspect it is a genetic mutation that led to her uncontrolled weight gain. Eman has been limited to four walls since 25 years and over last two years was restricted to bed because of a paralysis attack that led to complete loss of mobility.
