Soaring demand for weight loss surgery at AIIMS

New Delhi, July 28, 2021:

After a temporary decline, the demand for weight loss surgery is on the rise again. AIIMS says doctors accept 8-10 such patients each week.

“This is almost 1.5 times the number seen before the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Sandeep Aggarwal, who is in charge of weight loss surgery or weight loss surgery at AIIMS, and almost every patient seeking surgery needs it. I added that it was.

Aggarwal said: “They all had a body mass index (BMI) of over 35 with obesity-related disorders such as diabetes, sleep apnea, and fatty liver. These patients were comprehensively examined and ready for surgery. I am. “

According to experts, weight loss surgery is recommended when other means of losing weight, such as exercise, dietary management, and the treatment of the underlying disorder that can cause excessive weight gain, do not produce the desired results.

“In the past, many patients came for weight loss surgery, but they always wanted to take the time to decide to do it. Now people are all coming in for it. I’m afraid that being overweight may increase the risk of developing complications if you get infected with Covid-19, “said Aggarwal.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that obesity triples the risk of hospitalization for Covid-19. “Obesity is associated with impaired immune function, and it can reduce vital capacity and reserves, making ventilation more difficult,” he added.

A study published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology Journal is based on more than 6.9 million people living in the United Kingdom and includes data on more than 20,000 Covid-19 patients who were hospitalized or died during the first wave. .. From illness, it begins to rise in people with a BMI greater than 23 kg / m2, which is considered to be in the healthy range.

“The risk of hospitalization was 5% higher for each unit of BMI increase and the risk of ICU admission was 10% higher. People with low weight (BMI less than 18.5) also had worse Covid-19 results.” The author states. ET Health World