Back to health without baggage

Dubai: A morbidly obese Emirati man, who weighed 390 kg when he was admitted to the hospital last year, has had his stomach stapled after a one-year wait and shed almost 140 kg.

Nasser, 26, underwent duodenal switch gastric bypass surgery, which involves the removal of part of the stomach and reconnection of the small intestine, on Sunday at Rashid Hospital. Specialists from Sweden and the US were flown in to perform the procedure and instruct local staff.

At 254kg, Nasser is the heaviest man to have undergone the procedure in the UAE and the first to do so at a Dubai government hospital, according to the Department of Health and Medical Services (Dohms).

Dr Feisal Badri, head of general surgery at Rashid Hospital, told Gulf News Nasser now has a better chance at life.

"It will take him about a year to lose all the extra weight. He will probably lose 130kg and weigh at about 120kg, which with his height [180cm] is appropriate," he said.

"He will be able to do many things now," he added.

However, he said the road ahead was not all smooth for Nasser. There are some life-long changes Nasser must make to his diet and lifestyle. The surgery, which cut down the size of his stomach, means Nasser will not be able to hold as much food and must avoid eating or drinking too much.

Absorption drops

The reconnection of the small intestine also means he will not be able to absorb as many nutrients as before, requiring him to take multi-vitamins and nutritional supplements religiously.

Nasser told Gulf News he was prepared to make all the changes and more.

"I don't want to go back [to the way I was before]," he said in Arabic.

Instead, he fully intends to make up for lost time. At his heaviest, he could not walk and had trouble breathing.

"I want to play football again," he added.

Other than Nasser four other people, including one woman, will have undergone the same procedure by today - all in their 20s.

Dr Badri told Gulf News the surgeries were the first in the bariatric surgery programme that Dohms was starting at Rashid Hospital.

"We plan to do one or two bariatric surgeries per week," he said, adding it would be 'cheaper'.

He also warned the procedure should not be considered a "miracle cure" for life's problems, saying the hospital has strict guidelines before approving a patient for surgery.

Dr Hans Lonroth, Chief of surgery at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden who is helping set up the programme, agreed, saying people should not have unrealistic expectations.

"We can help them with the weight, but we can't give a new job, a family or happiness. We are just giving them a chance to achieve all that," he said.