Navi Mumbai: Morbidly obese 8-year-old has bariatric surgery again

The team of doctors including Dr Mohit Bhandari (third from left) and Dr Mathias Fobi (wearing glasses), who operated on Zoya Khan

After two years of being bed-ridden due to acute obesity, eight-year-old Zoya Khan got a new lease on life on Saturday, when she underwent revised bariatric surgery. Khan, who weighs 39 kg, was operated on at MPCT Hospital of the Surana Group at Navi Mumbai, by a team of doctors comprising Dr Mohit Bhandari and Dr Mathias Fobi from the US. The ideal weight for an eight-year-old is 28 kg.

Dr Bhandari is said to have done the most bariatric surgeries in the Asia Pacific. Dr Fobi is an internationally renowned bariatric surgeon. MPCT doctors claim the revision bariatric surgery performed on Khan is a record as she is the youngest person in the world to undergo it. Khan was being treated at the Nair Hospital when a team of doctors from Surana hospitals contacted her family regarding the surgery.

The diagnosis
Dr Bhandari, Dr Fobi and other doctors diagnosed her with morbid obesity and decided to do a revision surgery on her. "A CT scan and endoscopy were performed and after that it was found that her stomach had dilated to that of a normal sized adult's stomach post her first surgery, which was done when she was 11 months old. A revision sleeve surgery was performed with the fixture of a non-adjustable ring by the team, which will help prevent the stomach from dilating again.

It will also ensure she has adequate weight loss and her weight doesn't increase with age. The option of gastric bypass was avoided since she is too young and it could lead to micro-nutrient deficiency," said Dr Bhandari. He also said she has not walked for past two years which has made her legs weak, and she couldn't join a school because of the same.

Diet and counselling
Doctors said Khan is doing well after the surgery but is under observation in the ICU. She will be prescribed a diet and will undergo counseling as she was completely bed-ridden for two years. Dr Prince D Surana, CEO of the Surana Group of hospitals said, "We will keep her in hospital for a week and give aggressive physiotherapy and occupational therapy too, to make her walk." Doctors said the surgery was done free of cost as her family's economic background is poor.

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