Being overweight or underweight can have grave impact on one’s health, especially if one wishes to undergo surgery. Patients with severe weight complications are highly prone to health risks, during and post-surgery.
Recently, Max Hospital, Gurgaon conducted two unique surgeries on patients from Nigeria and Iraq. While one patient, weighing 146 Kgs underwent a knee replacement surgery, the second one, weighing only 36 Kgs underwent a hip replacement. These extreme surgeries were conducted under the guidance of Dr. JBS Jaggi, Associate Director & Unit Head, Max Hospital.
The 58-year old, Ndaya Esther came to Max Hospital with a history of joint pains. Ndaya weighed 146 Kgs at the time of admission and was operated on both knees for Knee replacement surgery. As the patient was overweight, there were challenges from adjusting the patient on the surgery table to using the surgery tools. Moreover, the patient was also suffering from severe osteoarthritis, axis deviation, and ligamentous instability – that created challenges during surgery. The challenges were overcome with team work and a well thought out rehabilitation protocol.
Despite these challenges, Dr. Jaggi and his team had successfully conducted the surgery, and were able to gift a new life to Ndaya. She is now mobilising independently and is back to activities of daily living with the result that her quality of life has improved drastically.
On Ndaya’s case, Dr. JBS Jaggi, Associate Director & Unit Head (Unit-II), Max Hospital, Gurgaon, said, “Obesity is a rising epidemic worldwide and is an important independent risk factor in the development of osteoarthritis (OA). An aging population and increasing incidence of obesity contribute to a higher prevalence of OA and a subsequent greater need for knee replacement. When Ndaya came to us seeking medical aid, we were absolutely alarmed to see her weight. Not only did she have trouble walking, she was also unable to adjust her body weight on a regular surgery table initially. We finally managed to go ahead with the surgery and are extremely pleased to see her living a healthy and normal life.”
In another case, the 35-year old, Mohammed Sahar, weighing 36 Kgs came to Max Hospital complaining of pain and instability/unstable bilateral hips. Since a very young age, Sahar was unable to walk, had multiple deformities (chest, spine, hip, knees and ankles) and suffered from impaired coordination. Additionally, she was also prone to bone fracture and had slow reflexes due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
For her surgery, Dr. Jaggi and his team had customized the surgical tools as per her body weight, as regular equipment and surgical tools were too big for her body. Post customization, Dr. Jaggi and his team were able to successfully operate on Sahar without any complications.
On Sahar’s case, Dr. JBS Jaggi, Associate Director & Unit Head, Max Hospital, Gurgaon, said, “While there is some awareness on surgery complications for obese patients, there is limited awareness on complexities for an underweight patient. Sahar was extremely underweight – only 36 Kgs, with BMI of 18. At her weight, she was exposed to an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture. We took an immediate decision of customizing all the surgical tools as per her body weight and size in order to go ahead with the surgery. Sahar showed a lot of courage and determination throughout the procedure. We are happy to see that she is able to carry on with her life the way she wants to and is not in pain.”
Max Hospital, Gurgaon is a leading provider of world-class medical expertise in the Delhi NCR region. The unit has successfully treated over 300 cases of knee replacement and hip replacement in the NCR region. With the state-of–the-art infrastructure and experienced surgical team, patients in the NCR region can now avail the benefit of such services.
