New Delhi: For a 44-year-old housewife from Sangam Vihar, the past few months were nothing short of a nightmare. Bedridden, unable to breathe without ventilatory support, and weighed down by a body mass index (BMI) of 80.4, she felt life slipping out of her hands. However, on Aug 18, she underwent a sleeve gastrectomy at AIIMS—an intervention doctors described as nothing less than life-saving.“Several cases of obstructive sleep apnoea due to obesity can be life-threatening. But bariatric surgery, if performed at the right time, can save lives,” said Dr Manjunath Maruti Pol from AIIMS’ surgery department.At 146.5 kg with a height of just 135 cm, she was battling progressive weight gain for over a decade. Diet and exercise offered no relief in the past three years. Her health deteriorated sharply—breathing difficulties made her dependent on CPAP, a non-invasive ventilator, and she lost the strength to even walk. “I was losing confidence every day. I could not move around the house, and even simple tasks felt impossible,” she recalled before the surgery.Her ordeal began with repeated hospital visits. Initially treated at Safdarjung Hospital and then referred to RML, she was diagnosed with severe sleep apnoea. But her condition kept worsening. By July, she arrived at AIIMS, gasping for breath and with multiple organ complications. Tests revealed not only right heart failure but also chronic liver disease with fluid buildup in the abdomen. Doctors feared that without surgery, she might not survive.A multidisciplinary team—spanning pulmonary medicine, anaesthesiology, cardiology, endocrinology, dietetics, and surgery—worked for weeks to stabilise her before the risky operation. The surgery itself tested the limits of medical expertise. With 15 cm of abdominal fat and a stiffened abdomen, manoeuvring surgical instruments was nearly impossible. “The margin for error was extremely narrow. Every move had to be slow and calculated, because her heart, lungs and liver were all compromised,” said Dr Pol, who led the surgery with anaesthesiologist Dr Sushmita and her team.Despite the odds, the procedure was a success. She is now recovering, gradually weaning off CPAP and beginning physiotherapy-led rehabilitation. Doctors expect her to lose significant weight in the coming months, which should also improve her heart and lung function, and eventually allow her to regain independence.Super-super obesity—defined as a BMI above 60—is among the most dangerous forms of obesity, often bringing multiple organ dysfunction and a severely compromised quality of life. “This case shows bariatric surgery is not cosmetic—it can be life-saving when performed at centres with the right expertise,” doctors said.
