The news of the death of Wadih Wassouf, the son of the Sultan of Tarab, George Wassouf, raised a great uproar and shock, and raised many questions regarding the risks of this surgery and the complications that might result from it, following Wadih’s death brought this surgery back to the fore, is it really dangerous? Who are the people who can do it? And who are they banned from?
10 days following Wadih Wassouf underwent sleeve gastrectomy or stomach reduction surgery, and following it was successful, he was urgently admitted to intensive care at Saint Joseph Hospital, following it was revealed that there was sudden internal bleeding.
Despite controlling the bleeding, Wadih’s condition remained delicate before he died last night, leaving the family and loved ones in a state of amazement and bereavement.
This surgery, which is considered one of the most popular and famous surgeries, and leads to weight loss, was indirectly turned yesterday as a result of the complications that Wadih Wassouf suffered following resorting to it.
A specialist in bariatric surgery explains to An-Nahar that the sleeve operation, or what is known as stomach reduction or sleeve gastrectomy, is one of the most popular operations for weight loss, and by the word sleeve, we mean making the stomach into a sleeve. In this process, the surgeon resorts to cutting the stomach, as it removes regarding 80 percent of it, and instead of the stomach being like a storehouse, it becomes like a passage for transporting food.
What are the conditions and criteria that prevent this surgery?
The specialist in bariatric surgery talks regarding some of the factors that prevent the stomach reduction surgery, especially when we do not find a medical justification for performing it.
As for the people who are prohibited from performing this operation, they are:
* Addict: If the patient is addicted to a drug, whether it is alcohol, drugs, or some medications. It is impossible for this category to perform this surgery, because they will not abide by the imposed conditions that accompany the surgery. Thus, an addict can only be operated on if he is fully recovered.
* People with gonorrhea problems and at risk of bleeding.
* People who suffer from heart problems as a result of their inability to tolerate general anesthesia.
* People with breathing or lung problems.
* People who suffer from uncontrolled gluttony.
Who are the people who are allowed to perform the operation?
* People who have a body mass index between 35 and 40, and have health problems related to obesity.
* People with a BMI over 40.
* People with a body mass index of less than 35 and suffering from uncontrolled diabetes.
Preoperative preparation stage
The patient preparation protocol varies from country to country. In France, for example, studying the file of a patient who wants to perform this surgery takes between 6 months and a year, and a committee of bariatric and digestive surgeons, endocrinologists, digestive and respiratory doctors meets, especially if the patient’s obesity affects his pulmonary problems; This is done in the presence of a radiologist to deal with any complications following the operation.
Sometimes the patient is asked to follow a diet to lose weight even before the surgery.
In Lebanon, the bariatric surgeon is the main leader in this operation, in cooperation with some doctors and their presence as needed.
The duration of the surgery
The surgery takes an hour and a half on average, and it may sometimes reach two and a half hours in complex and thorny cases.
What are the complications of surgery?
As in every surgical procedure, stomach reduction carries some rare complications, the most important of which are:
– Leakage, perforation, or the Fistule: It occupies the list of rare complications that may occur following a stomach reduction operation; And the risk of its occurrence is from the moment of the operation to a maximum of 7 days, then the incidence decreases day by day.
Bleeding: The risk is from the moment of surgery up to two weeks.
Blood clots: The risk is from the moment of surgery until the third week, then the risk decreases with each passing day following the operation.
It remains to be known that the patient must adhere to the imposed medical procedures, perform the required examinations, and not neglect any symptoms he may feel.
