New Delhi: A 43-year-old Iraqi national weighing 301 kg, underwent a bariatric surgery in a city hospital and is feeling lighter now as he will be able to shed around 150 kg of his weight over a span of next one year. Ali Saddam, once touted as the Iraq’s heaviest man, had undergone the surgery on March 23, and is ready to fly back home tomorrow, six days after his surgery.
He has reduced 20 kg within five days after the surgery, Dr Deep Goel, Sr Consultant and Director, Bariatric and Advance Laparoscopy Surgery, BLK Super Specialty Hospital said.
For years, Ali had to contend with a heavy intake of food. His regular diet regimen included 24 eggs in breakfast, two chickens with 12 chapattis in lunch, and one goat in dinner along with two liters of milk and 15 khaboos (Arabic flat bread).
Ali started to gain weight rapidly over the last four years and this became associated with a string of medical issues, including uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep disorder. Because of obstructive sleep apnoea, Ali had to depend on Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine. “Firstly, locating abdomen during operation was most challenging as Ali had developed more than one feet of fat deposition around his belly. All his organs were densely covered with layers of fat,” Dr Goel said.
“Secondly, controlling his heart beat, blood pressure and sugar level was also critical. Given his size, two surgeons had to stand on stools and Ali had to be laid down on two operation tables,” Dr Goel said.
The administration had to make special bed arrangements in ICU for Ali to lie down properly. Once logistics were managed to accommodate him, the operation went on smoothly. “Despite his heavy weight, the team performed the surgery only in an hour’s time using minimally invasive surgery,” Dr Goel explained. Ali would be able to lose almost half of his weight in next 12 months, he said.
