Bariatric Surgery, a Treatment for Obesity and Fatty Liver Disease at 'Aastha Health Care'
MUMBAI, March 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
Mumbai-based 'Aastha Health Care', a weight-loss treatment centre, recently organised a support group meeting of patients who were operated for Bariatric Surgery at the hospital more than a year ago. These patients were treated for obesity and fatty liver disease. The patients were examined, evaluated clinically and investigated as a protocol in liver disease patients. An extra ordinary result that came across while evaluating the patients at the support group meeting was that the fatty liver disease process had stalled in majority of patients and in a particular section of patients, the entire fatty liver disease progress had regressed to have a good quality functional liver.
Dr Manish Motwani, the Chief Bariatric Surgeon at Apollo Spectra Hospitals, said, "Obesity is no longer just a cosmetic problem. It's now called the mother of all diseases. Obesity brings with it innumerable medical problems like diabetes, liver disease, hypertension, heart diseases and cancer too."
"Obesity is a disease and Bariatric Surgery is a scientific solution to the medical problem. Awareness for the same is growing and with Bariatric Surgery, we are seeing very encouraging results in treatment of obesity as well as resolution of co morbidities (associated medical problems with obesity)," added Dr. Motwani.
Obesity and Fatty Liver Disease
Fatty Liver is an accumulation of fat in the liver. When the process of fat metabolism is disrupted, the fat can accumulate in the liver in excessive amounts, thus resulting in a fatty liver.
Alcohol has always been considered the root cause of a fatty liver, but even teetotallers who are overweight, with high abdominal obesity or waist circumference have been complaining of liver diseases and fatty liver. Fat deposition in liver increases 20% with 1% increase in subcutaneous fat, but increases 40% for even 1% increase in Intra-abdominal fat. This suggests, obesity is a leading cause of fatty liver.
It is shocking to note that while many believe that a fatty liver is related to alcohol consumption, 60% of cases are that of non-alcoholics. The most important causes being obesity, excessive junk food diet, lack of exercise, diabetes and high cholesterol among other lifestyle conditions. The kind of lifestyle people live these days is increasingly leading to them suffering from fatty liver disease. And this is only going to increase if not controlled.
Fatty liver is increasingly becoming the reason behind liver failure disease. This is especially true in urban cities such as Mumbai.
Incidence of liver diseases in non-alcoholics can turn into an epidemic in the years to come, if their improper lifestyle is not corrected soon. Further, a rapid increase in the number of liver cancer patients is already being seen in urban cities, mostly due to lifestyle-related problems.
Obesity is more dangerous than alcohol. Globalisation, westernisation has led to a rise in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Since obesity and diabetes are correlated with fatty liver, there is an upward trend to the latter.
Fatty liver is more common if patients are:
- Obese or overweight
- Have type 2 diabetes (this causes an increased uptake of fat into the liver cells)
- Have high cholesterol
- Over the age of 50
- Smokers
Since obesity is the biggest cause of fatty liver, losing weight can definitely bring a reversal of fatty liver and also reversal of liver disease.
Losing weight can also stop the progression of fatty liver to liver fibrosis to cirrhosis to liver failure
Weight Loss is a scientific treatment and decided on the basis of stage of obesity and associated medical problems. The evaluation criteria thus being BMI i.e Body Mass Index.
Patients with BMI less than 30 are subjected to conservative management including diet, life style modification, behavioural modification, medications, physical exercise etc. Patients with BMI more than 30 are usually the one who need Bariatric Surgery or laparoscopic weight loss surgery.
Bariatric Surgery consists of a group of surgical operations designed to achieve both meaningful and sustainable weight loss. These procedures involve surgically manipulating the stomach (and sometimes the small intestine) to reduce food intake, and some cases, to reduce the absorption of calories into the body.
Bariatric Surgery is just one tool to achieve higher and sustained weight loss. Choosing surgery is not a simple decision and it is not for everyone who struggles with obesity but only for those who satisfy the particular criteria. It is important to keep in mind that weight loss surgery is not just a cosmetic procedure. The aim of surgery is not only to reduce obesity, but also the number and severity of medical problems related to obesity.
It has been observed that after Bariatric Surgery, there is a reversal of fatty liver and halt of progression to liver failure in majority of patients.
Obesity thus, is a leading cause of fatty liver and non alcoholic fatty liver disease and Bariatric Surgery can be a major tool in arresting process of obesity and thus liver problems associated with Obesity
About Aastha Health Care:
'Aastha Health Care' is a specialised Centre for Laparoscopic Weight Loss Surgery (Bariatric Surgery) at Mulund, Mumbai. With an experience of more than 15 years in Bariatric Surgery, this centre has become one of the leading centres in the country doing pioneering work in the field of obesity and obesity surgery. It is also a leading centre for medical tourism patients from across the globe landing in India for weight loss surgery.
'Aastha Health Care' and Motwani Charitable Trust have taken upon themselves the task of spreading awareness about obesity and obesity-related complications across the country. For more details, visit http://www.aasthahealthcare.com .
This article is written by Ms Twinkle Haria under the guidance of Bariatric Surgeon Dr Manish Motwani.
Media Contact:
Twinkle Haria
[email protected]
+91-9321350957
Chief Nutritionist and Bariatric Coordinator
Aastha Health Care
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