Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Bengaluru performs first single incision sleeve gastrectomy in Karnataka

Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Bengaluru completes four consecutive single incision sleeve gastrectomies

Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Bengaluru recently performed the first single incision sleeve gastrectomy on a 51 year old patient from Kenya. This is considered to be the first of its kind in Karnataka. In the following week, the hospital has successfully performed two more single incision sleeve gastrectomies, taking the count to four in the span of a month.

Suleiman, a citizen of Kenya, was suffering from Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, weighing 100 kgs at the time of surgery. The patient had early diabetes and high levels of triglycerides. He underwent a single keyhole sleeve gastrectomy on September 4, 2018. The procedure lasted around 1.5 hours. The laparoscopic incision was a small three cm entry point. Surgery was successful and went off with no glitches. The patient was discharged on September 7, 2018.

The Single Incision sleeve gastrectomy (SILSG) is performed when the 4-5 incision laparoscopic gastric sleeve is performed, but with only a single laparoscopic incision through the belly button. The biggest difference between the two is the single incision has the added benefits of little to no scars as well as reduced postoperative pain because of the single incision, which allows for a quicker recovery. The single incision is less invasive than the traditional gastric sleeve therefore, the complication rate is lower.

Dr G Moinoddin, Consultant Bariatrics & Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeon at Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Richmond Road, Bengaluru, who led the team on this case said,” Single Incision sleeve gastrectomy is fast becoming a preferred surgical technique in bariatrics. This procedure is superior as we sew over the staple line with omentoplasty, a surgical procedure in which part of the greater omentum is used to cover or fill a defect, augment arterial or portal venous circulation, absorb effusions, or increase lymphatic drainage. In similar cases, previously discussed in medical literature, the incision site is simply stapled. This method reinforces the healing of the incision site.”

Suleiman is expected to lose around 25 kgs in the first year subject to making positive lifestyle changes related to diet and exercise. Interestingly, Suleiman is not the first foreign citizen to avail this surgery at Gleneagles Global Hospitals in Bengaluru. There have been over 15 patients from countries like Qatar, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai, Kuwait, Nigeria, Iraq and even Canada that have opted for various forms of bariatric surgery at this super-specialty hospital.

The advantages of the single incision laparoscopic surgery are numerous including less recovery time, single, virtual scarless incision through the belly button, reduced postoperative pain and less invasive. In fact, all these advantages help patients to get back to normalcy almost immediately after surgery. Patients are able to walk as soon as 3 hours after surgery. There is no mandatory bed rest either. The patient may resume his or her day to day activities a day after the surgery.