How Bariatric Surgery combats premature aging and adds eight years of life to patients

Weight loss through bariatric surgery can help you effectively combat premature aging and add about eight years of extra life, as per a recent study conducted in Vienna.

The researchers collected blood samples before surgery and one and two years afterwards.

They compared the levels of premature aging markers called Telomeres in the blood before and after surgery.

Telomeres are the internal clock of each cell. Telomeres get shorter when a cell divides or when oxidative stress causes them to break.

When the telomeres get very short the cell can no longer divide and is replenished or stays in the body as an aged cell.

Previous studies have shown that obese women had shorter telomeres compared to women with a healthy weight, which amounted to an added eight years of life.

Vienna study found that two years after surgery, patients had 80% longer telomeres than they had before the procedure and could reverse the premature aging in obese patients.

The study included 76 patients who were 40 years old on average; and the average BMI was 44.5 kg/m2. All patients had been unable to lose weight through lifestyle changes and were referred for bariatric surgery.

One year after surgery BMI had significantly dropped to an average of 27.5 kg/m2, which amounts to a 38% reduction.

Something Stealing your Sleep?

A character from a French folk tale lends her name to a sleep disorder that many suffer from without even knowing it.

It is called Ondine’s Curse or in medical terms Central Hypo-ventilation Syndrome.

Ondine was a celestial nymph who fell in love with Palemon, a mortal, who promised to love her with every waking breath he takes. Ondine is overwhelmed and comes down to the earth to join her lover, giving up her Celestial home and Immortality forever. But the love story is soon to take a dramatic twist.

One day, Ondine finds her lover asleep in the bedchamber in the arms of another woman.

Seething in anger, Ondine barges into the room and curses Palemon. ‘So long as you are awake, you shall breathe. But should you ever fall into sleep, your breath will desert you!’

With that curse, Palemon is doomed to stay awake forever. For he knows that the moment he goes to sleep, he will be dead.

Interesting story?

Borrowing its name from this tale, Ondine’s curse is a disorder where a person stops breathing during sleep.

More than 10 million people in India are said to be suffering from it.

The condition is also called Sleep Apnea. It is a potentially serious condition in which breathing stops and starts repeatedly during sleep.

Due to the stoppage in breathing, the brain and other parts of the body are not supplied with adequate oxygen.

One of the most common forms of Sleep Apnea is called Obstructive Sleep Apnea and it is caused by the blockage of the airway when the soft tissue at the back of the throat collapses during sleep.

This happens involuntarily. So often, those suffering from Sleep Apnea do not know it.

They wonder why they feel groggy, sleepy and unrested in the mornings. Or often, they doze off to sleep during the day. The reason in many cases, is not having enough restful sleep at night.

One of the most common causes of Sleep Apnea is Obesity.

Excess fat accumulation around the throat, air passages and lungs can cause the condition.

Males above 40 who are over-weight are in the highest risk category.

Obesity is not just the weight on your body. It is also the weight on your lungs and air passages. Increased fat around the throat can cause breathing difficulties and disorders like Sleep Apnea.

Obesity is determined by calculating the BMI or Body Mass Index of the person.

Eg : if one’s height is 175 cm and weight is 70 kg, the BMI would be calculated as follows :-

BMI = 70 / (1.75 * 1.75) = 22.86

When one’s BMI is 30 or more, one is said to be Obese.

People use many ways to tackle obesity including diet and exercise. However, often such attempts end up being futile because root cause of obesity such as over-eating and excess absorption of food by the intestines is not easy to win over with just diet and exercise.

Bariatric Surgery is a scientifically proven, tried and tested alternate method for weight loss and obesity with much higher success rate compared to conventional methods.

Known also as Weight Loss or Obesity Surgery, it is a procedure to induce weight loss amongst people who suffer from Obesity. Particularly amongst those for whom other weight loss measures have not worked.

Bariatric surgery involves reducing the active size of the patient’s stomach with the help of a gastric band also known as a lap-band. Alternatively, a part of the stomach is surgically removed. In one more type of surgery, food pathway is rerouted.

All these three options in Bariatric surgery result in reduction of food intake or less absorption of fat and sugars or both, to help long term weight loss. Your Doctor will advise which of these three options are best for you.

Post the bariatric procedure, one is required to have small frequent meals. As the stomach size is reduced, one tends to feel full with smaller quantities. The food intake will thereby reduce on its own.

The impact of bariatric surgery becomes apparent within the first few weeks of surgery.

The procedure is performed through laparoscopy i.e. through the key-hole method. This involves miniature incisions. As a result, there will be no major scars of surgery and recovery is painless and quick compared to open surgery.

Bariatric Surgery involves risk just like any other surgery. But it is important to understand that as with any other surgery, the surgeon’s skill and expertise reduce the risk involved.

The success of a surgery and the patient’s experience depends mostly on the experience, skill and expertise of the surgeon. It is therefore necessary that one approaches a top bariatric centre with vast experience in performing bariatric and laparoscopic surgeries.

Apart from Sleep Apnea, Obesity is associated with increased risk of several physical health disorders including diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, arthritis, infertility, heart disease and thyroid amongst others.

It is also a major cause of mental and psychological problems like Depression, Anxiety, etc. caused due to social seclusion and isolation.

Bariatric Surgery may be the answer to end your battle with Obesity and the multifarious problems that come along with it.

Want to learn more? Call us for a consultation on: +91 98210 32169.

5 Ways to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity has more serious future health implications than most parents think.

Studies from University of Surrey, UK found increased arterial damage in obese children. The arterial damage aggravates the chances of that child suffering from cardiovascular disease in its adult life.

Researchers have established that obese children are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in adulthood. Childhood BMI is also a predictor of adult hypertension, asthma, hepatic steatosis, sleep apnea and arthritis.

Whereas the popular perception in Indian families is that plump child is a healthy child. Which is incorrect. Childhood obesity is something that we need to address an protect the child from unhealthy adult life with life threatening consequences.

How can we do it?

These tips may help you prevent weight gain while your child enjoys its food and eating time.

Respect your child’s appetite. Human bodies right from infancy are tuned to recognise when they are full. So children do not have to finish everything on their plate, or finish the entire bottle.
Do not reward completion of meals with sweet desserts. This will subconsciously script a child’s mind into believing that eating is hard work but you are rewarded for finishing it, in the end.
Make his or her favourite food healthier. You don’t have to ask your child to avoid his or her favorite food. That will induce craving. Instead, the recipes that your family enjoys, with just a few changes, can be healthier and just as satisfying.

For instance, if your child loves Biryani, no point in asking him or her not to eat it because Rice makes you put on weight if eaten in large quantities. Just replace the rice with dalia or broken wheat. This tastes good and is much healthier.

Enjoy physical activities as a family, such as walking, swimming and playing outdoor games. Pre-school to primary school children should do three hours exercise a day once they can walk. Five to 18 year olds are encouraged to do an hour to several hours a day of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity. Three days a week this should include vigorous intensity activities to strengthen muscle and bone.
Reduce Sedentary Time: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend television viewing for children age 2 or younger. In fact TV is bad for all ages.

Although quiet time for reading and homework is fine, limit the time your children watch television, play video games, or surf the web to no more than 1 hour per day.

If you want to learn more about healthy diet for your child and family, you may please ask for an appointment with our Dietitian. Call us at +91 22 2888 6666.

Dr Abhay Agrawal continues to be featured by US news agencies

Dr Abhay Agrawal, one of the leading Bariatric Surgeons in India and a specialist in reducing obesity has introduced to young surgeons, a new technology used in surgeries.

Read full article

4 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Bariatric Surgery

4 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Bariatric Surgery

Dr Abhay Agrawal from Mumbai India is one of the foremost leaders of Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery . He took up Bariatric Surgery in its nascent days and has played a significant role in growing this specialty it to the level it is at today. In 2002, Dr. Agrawal was one of the first in Mumbai to perform Sleeve Gastrectomy, which is one of the popular type of Bariatric Surgeries today.

With 4000 Laparoscopic Bariatric procedures under his belt, as of 2017, Dr. Agrawal ranks amongst the top 5 individual surgeons in India terms of total number of Bariatric Surgeries performed. Dr Agrawal is a world-class expert in all types of Bariatric surgeries: Mini Gastric Bypass, Roux- en- y Gastric Bypass, Sleeve Gastrectomy and Ileal Transposition (Diabetes Surgery).

Dr Agrawal is one of the first and amongst the few surgeons in the world to be conferred with the distinguished status of International Surgeon of Excellence from the US-based non-profit accreditation organization, Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) . This accreditation certificate was awarded to him after a stringent audit of his center that included checking the patient data of the previous 5 years for safety, efficacy, of complication incidences, re-operation etc..

The following are the 4 most common questions Dr Agrawal gets from his international patients and below each question are his answers for you to make an informed decision about Bariatric Surgery. Hope you find them useful:

Why should I choose Bariatric Surgery when I have options like Liposuction, Diet, Exercise etc.?

Liposuction neither reduces significant body-weight nor resolves a co-morbidity like Diabetes. It sucks some fat from target areas to improve cosmetic shape.

With diet and exercise plans many don’t lose weight in-spite of diligence; or you succeed first and quickly regain all lost weight and more. Your willpower may not be at fault. There could be an underlying medical condition. Unless we treat it, excess weight doesn’t go or stay away.

This is where Bariatric Surgery scores high as the most successful and scientifically proven method for long-term excess weight loss and resolution of about 60 co-morbidities including diabetes and hypertension.

Who can undergo Bariatric Surgery?

According to American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons:

Patients with BMI ≥ 40.

BMI ≥35 and at least one or more obesity-related co-morbidities such as type II diabetes

Those unable to achieve healthy and sustained weight loss with non-surgical efforts.

You can easily calculate your BMI at our website obesitysurgeryindia.net

Is Bariatric Surgery Safe?

In experienced hands, risk of dying from Bariatric surgery is about 0% (99.9% survival rates). Morbid obesity sufferers are 85% more likely to die over any 5 year period than Bariatric surgery patients.

Why Choose Center for Obesity and Diabetes Control (CODC)?

Founded in 2002, we are among the most respected Bariatric Centers of Asia with 4000+ procedures’ cumulative experience. Our expertise in Diabetes Surgery for low BMI patients is unparalleled. We are one of the few accredited centers of excellence by Surgical Review Corporation USA based on our patient safety, minimal complications, high patient satisfaction and reduced costs.

Located in Mumbai that has the best non-stop connections from all UAE destinations, Dr Agrawal is also attached to four other leading hospitals- widening your venue choice for treatment.

You will also enjoy significant cost savings compared to UAE and many Indian centers with no compromise in treatment and care with us.

For more details and discussions, write to Dr Abhay Agrawal at drabhay@gmail.com