Q: My mother is diabetic and has been advised to go for a bariatric surgery. She is hypertensive also. Is this surgery advisable in her case? If yes, then where in India can this be done?

A:Yes this can be done in India at several centres including Max Hospital, New Delhi. This weight loss surgery is only recommended for severely obese patients which is the case in your mother. There are three types of weight-loss surgeries. The best type of surgery depends upon how much weight needs to be lost. The most common surgeries are lap banding and gastric bypass. Lap banding, can be adjusted or removed. This procedure places a band around the top of the stomach. This causes the person to feel full after eating a small amount of food. In gastric bypass, the doctor creates a small pouch in the stomach. The pouch is connected to the small intestine. These changes cause the person to feel full after eating a small amount of food. It also causes the body to absorb fewer calories from food. A weight loss surgery can have complications, such as pain, infection, need for a second surgery, or nutrition problems. The specific complication depends upon which surgery is done and if the person has other medical problems. There is a smaller risk of complications when weight loss surgery is done in centres with a great deal of experience. Less than 1 in 100 people die because of weight loss surgery. After surgery, people lose about 60 percent of their extra weight and the amount of weight lost depends upon which surgery is done. Diabetes or arthritis often improve after weight loss surgery. After surgery, it is important to eat the right foods and exercise to stay healthy. Help with diet and exercise planning is available.