New Delhi: An Egyptian woman believed to be the world's heaviest woman died on Monday in Abu Dhabi after going through severe health conditions.
The 37-year old Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty, who weighed 1,102 pounds (500 kg), had undergone a weight reduction surgery at Saifee Hospital in Mumbai in the month of March.

Eman Ahmed’s family say the 37-year-old, from Alexandria in Egypt, was born weighing 5kg (11lbs) and had lymphedema, a condition that causes body tissue to swell. She had a stroke aged 11 and has been unable to leave the house in 25 years.

In February, weighing about 500kg, she was flown to Mumbai for treatment by one of India’s leading bariatric surgeons, Muffazal Lakdawala.

She underwent bariatric surgery — a stomach-shrinking bypass procedure — the following month, initially shedding 100 kilograms at Saifee Hospital, Mumbai.
El Aty left Mumbai when her sister clashed with the hospital, disputing her progress and treatment and was transferred to Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi and was supervised by team of 20 doctors there.

However, on Friday shockingly her condition deteriorated dramatically and she died on Monday.

Since then the news of her death is being reported by every media organisation. But the question is what led to the death of the Eman Ahmed and why the weight loss surgery failed?

What is Bariatric Surgery?

Bariatric surgery refers to a series of weight loss procedures that an obese individual can have in order to reduce their food intake, therefore causing them to lose weight.

A person is classed as obese if their body mass index (BMI) is over 30. If their BMI is over 40, they are deemed severely obese.

Obesity in has more than doubled in most of the countries since the 1960s, and this has prompted an increasing number of people to seek weight loss surgery.
The basic principle of bariatric surgery is to restrict food intake and decrease the absorption of food in the stomach and intestines.

Bariatric surgery is designed to alter or interrupt the digestion process so that food is not broken down and absorbed in the usual way. A reduction in the amount of nutrients and calories absorbed enables patients to lose weight and decrease their risk for obesity-related health risks or disorders.

There are three main bariatric surgery procedures that are widely used. These are gastric bypass, gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy.

Death of Eman Ahmed after Bariatric Surgery:

In their official statement, medical experts from Burjeel Hospital mentioned ‘Complications, from the underlying co-morbid conditions including heart diseases and kidney dysfunction’, as Eman’s cause of death.

Tests had shown Ahmed having a condition in which a leaking valve made some of the blood to flow back to the left ventricle, leading to a decrease in the capacity of the heart to pump sufficient blood to her body, and which would eventually lead to heart failure.

While most of Eman’s obesity-related problems such as severe hypothyroidism, lymphoedema, right-sided heart failure (or pulmonale), severe obstructive respiratory disease, renal failure and congestive liver were under control after the surgery in India still when transferred to Abu Dhabi more than 20 healthcare professionals were assigned in to evaluate Eman and chart a treatment plan, which was divided into three stages.

Doctors had planned to treat Eman’s acute issues — including her urinary tract infection, bedsores, rehabilitation, speech therapy — and provide her with psychological support within three months, as part of phase 1.

While doctors from Burjeel Hospital are yet to share more details on her treatment, health parameters and what exactly caused her death, it is likely that kidney and heart complications, which were previously diagnosed during the course of her treatment, eventually caused her death.

Weight Loss Surgeries in India:
India is carrying out more than 100 weight loss surgeries a day.  According to Lancet study, India is the third most obese country with one in every five Indian diagnosed with such issue. As a result, bariatric surgery treatment has gained awareness and popularity.

Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Karnataka, Bangalore, Indore, Kerala, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh are the prime preferable locations of patients for such treatment.
In India there have been many successful weight loss surgeries in the past. Some of the famous ones are the BJP President Nitin Gadara, the finance minister Arun Jaitely, NCP's Nawab Malik, former State Cabinet minister Nitin Raut, BJP's Vinod Tawde and BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu. 

Most famous Weight Loss Surgical Procedures:

Positives 'outweigh' the negatives:
Bariatric surgery poses risks to the patient, but medical professionals say the benefits far outweigh the health risks associated with obesity.
Bariatric procedures themselves present an array of possible complications.

For example, a side effect of gastric banding may involve dilation of the esophagus (food pipe) if the patient overeats. This means patients need to stick to a strict diet for the rest of their lives and have regular postoperative follow-up visits.

Gastric bypass procedures also have their disadvantages. The surgery can lead to long-term vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and patients must have lifelong supplementation as a result.

Studies have also suggested that bariatric surgery may increase the risk of other health conditions. The women who have undergone weight loss surgery are more likely to give birth prematurely and have babies who are small in size for gestational age.

Metabolic and bariatric surgery is associated with major reductions in risk of premature death over a 5-year period versus not having surgery, and the risk of bariatric surgery is now no greater than laparoscopic gall bladder surgery.

The surgery does carry many complications when performed.

The US Department of Health and Human Services data for 2011 shows that overall, 7.3% people who underwent bariatric surgery had complications, though mostly minor, while they were in hospital for the surgery. But 2.5% had serious complications, which were highest for people undergoing gastric bypass (3.6%), followed by sleeve gastrectomy (2.2%), and laparoscopic adjustable band procedures (0.9%).

But there is no denying to the fact that the trust on bariatric surgery has reportedly increased as the number of patients opting for this has scooted up.
As per bariatric surgery source, patients opting for bariatric surgery have a survival rate of 99.8% and on the other side the long term risk of death is much higher for individual with obesity. 

So cases like Eman Ahmed falls in the rarest of rare category. But using Bariatric Surgery without any trying other natural physical activity should be avoided. Weight losing surgeries should only be chosen for the people above 40 Body Mass Index. 
 

References:
www.medicalnewstoday.com
http://www.nation.co.ke
http://www.hindustantimes.com
http://www.newindianexpress.com
https://guardian.ng