Apollo Chennai has introduced a Bariatric Surgery procedure done through a single incision that leaves no visible scar !

Those who have been going under the surgeon’s scalpel for weight-loss surgeries had one concern – the ugly scar the surgery would leave behind. No longer.

Apollo Hospitals has introduced a Bariatric Surgery procedure done through a single incision in the belly button that leaves no visible scar. Bariatric surgery reduces the size of the stomach of morbidly obese people. Till recently, doctors had to either cut open the abdomen or make at least three holes to do these surgeries. The new technique does away with cuts and multiple incisions.

Surgeons in the US are experimenting with a method to use a pipe as thick as a garden hose through the mouth to do bariatric surgery without external cuts.

At the Apollo Hospitals, a team of surgeons headed by Dr Rajkumar Palaniappan began doing these surgeries a few months ago. “Many of patients undergoing the surgery are young who prefer a scarless surgery, ” Dr Palaniappan said. Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of factors including poor diet, lack of physical activity, and genetic reasons. It leads to various health problems such as heart diseases, diabetes, breathing difficulties and even certain types of cancer. While many of them are advised better lifestyle, for some surgeries are inevitable. Usually, patients with a body mass index of above 32.5 are advised the surgery.

During the surgery, doctors either remove a portion of the stomach to make the stomach look like the sleeve (Sleeve Gastrectomy) or reduce it using an implant (Gastric Banding). In people with morbid obesity along with complications such as diabetes, the stomach is not only made smaller, but it also restricts entry of food into the small intestine (Gastric Bypass). This reduces the intake of food and absorption of calories.

Many of them who underwent the surgery including Mr.Venugopal from Chennai, who weighed 140 kg, said he had reduced nine kg in ten days. Diabetics, who underwent the surgery have reduced sugar levels. In some others, blood pressure and cholesterol were brought under control. Doctors are expecting lesser complaints of sleep apnea, asthma and joint pain, the usual side effects associated with bariatric surgery.