Morbid obesity is increasing in Oman

Muscat: The number of patients suffering from morbid obesity is increasing in Oman, says the senior nutritionist at the Centre for Obesity and Digestive Surgery (CODS) in India.
“We are receiving a large number of patients from Oman who seek treatment for morbid obesity,” Carlyne Remedios told Times of Oman on the sideline of the International Medical Tourism Exhibition and Conference at the Oman Exhibition Centre.
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“Morbid obesity is a worldwide problem and bariatric surgery is the only long term solution to weight loss and weight management,” she added.
Morbid obesity is diagnosed by determining Body Mass Index, which is defined by the ratio of an individual’s height to his or her weight. The normal index ranges from 20-25.
An individual is considered morbidly obese if he or she is 100 pounds over his or her ideal body weight, has a body index of 40 or more, or 32 or more and experiencing obesity-related health conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
According to Remedios, CODS, under the leadership of Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala, is one of the leading centres in bariatric surgery in Asia, performing among the largest number of bariatric surgery procedures.
Dr Lakdawala is also credited with starting the first Indian Centre for Excellence (ICE) for bariatric surgery.
He has over ten years of experience in treating obesity cases and performed over 2,500 surgeries. He is also one of the only Indian surgeons to have performed surgeries in hospitals in most Asian countries and has performed the largest number of single incision laparoscopic surgeries (SILS) in the world.
“SILS is basically a scarless surgery, because the entire surgery is done via the belly button, leaving no scars on the abdomen,” Remedios said.
Speaking about the advantage of undergoing SILS, Remedious said, “SILS helps maintain patient confidentiality because it leaves no scars, the patient has the privilege of keeping his surgery a secret and also has a cosmetic advantage, as there are no scars of surgery left behind.”
“Since it is only a single incision, pain is much less and healing is much faster than other procedures,” she added.
CODS treats patients suffering from many gastrointestinal diseases.
“Since our beginning in 2004, we have helped thousands of patients return to a normal life by using cutting edge technology and holistic care,” Remedious said.
According to Carlyne Remedious, there are five reasons to choose CODS for treatment.
“We have the most complete laparoscopic expertise, highly experienced surgeons, outstanding facilities, global systems and processes, and a holistic approach towards patients,” she explained.
“We come to Oman every 3 months and meet our patients for follow-up treatments,” Remedious added.
Recently, they published a guideline for patients in India, called Bariatric Nutrition Guidelines for the Indian Population.
“Post operative nutrition is vital to the success of the surgery; We are dedicated to patient care and academics, which is why we felt the need to publish guidelines that are specific to our population,” Remedious asserted.
“Since our population suffers from the effects of a western diet and lifestyle, it was important to have guidelines specific to our population,” she added.
“Now we no longer need to rely on American or European guidelines to manage our patients post-op,” she continued.
According to Remedious, the guideline are also applicable in the Gulf region.
“When we consider the large population of expatriate residents in Oman, such as Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis, these guidelines will help specialists manage these patients more efficiently post operatively,” she noted.