PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of the Pakistan Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons is set to launch a campaign to create public awareness of laparoscopic surgeries to treat obesity and prevent diabetes, arthritis, infertility, hypertension and other health issues among obese people.

Prof Mohammad Zarin of the Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, told Dawn that obesity was a major public health issue but the people had yet to benefit from a new surgery introduced in government hospitals due to a lack of awareness.

“We have planned to hold sessions with doctors, media and civil society organisations that obesity is completely curable if the people contact the right surgeons. Our surgery results meet international standards and people feel change in their lives after successfully undergoing surgeries,” he said.

Prof Zarin, who is the general secretary of the PSM&BS’s KP chapter, said the society was conducting a study about the results of the surgeries done in the province.

KTH Prof Zarin says people yet to benefit from surgical facility at govt hospitals

He said the surgical procedures protected people from obesity and related issues.

“We can bring down the number of obesity-related diseases by laparoscope, whose results are very encouraging,” he said.

The society’s general secretary said the Society of Bariatric Surgeons was established in 2017 and it began carrying out surgeries in Peshawar the same year.

He said hundreds of surgical procedures had so far been carried out with results comparable to international ones.

“Now, surgeons at the Hayatabad Medical Complex and Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar and teaching hospitals in Abbottabad and Swat are performing these procedures but the number of the people opting for it is very small,” he said.

Prof Zarin said the society was also scaling up awareness among doctors torefer obese people for surgeries as most of such patients didn’t know about new surgical techniques to ease their misery.

“Four research articles are in the process of publication regarding laparoscopy results, public and doctor awareness of the disease, and surgical solutions to it,” he said.

Prof Rohul Muqim, a former medical doctor of KTH, told Dawn that Pakistan was ranked 45th in the world regarding obesity levels a decade ago but it currently held ninth place showing severity of the problem.

“All those with a body mass index of more than 40 years require this surgery, while the 35-year-olds with problems like diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, cardiac and pulmonary problems, infertility and sleep apnea will have to do bariatric surgery,” he said.

Prof Muqim said the patients were required to see doctors for one year after surgery.

“We have examined that most patients live normal lives after undergoing procedure, which addressed not only obesity but also diabetes, hypertension and their other issues,” he said.

PSM&BS president Prof Muzaffaruddin Sadiq said the society was going to introduce laparoscopic surgeries in district hospitals and hold sessions with medics for referring patients to surgeons.

“Our first target is to start these surgical procedures in all teaching hospitals of the province. It is not a cosmetic surgery and instead, it is done to reduce weight and thus, curing other related problems,” he said.

The society president said a variety of procedures were available but three were most common to reduce stomach capacity and minimise food absorption.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2022