The patient, Makuc Gordon Ayom Thon, was suffering from rectal malignancy when he first came to India in 2012.
Weighing 102 Kgs, he underwent an abdominoperineal resection (commonly called APR) during which his entire rectum was removed and colostomy was created on May 10 in 2012.
The operation was performed by Dr Randeep Wadhawan, Director and Head, Department of Minimal Access, Bariatric and Gastrointestinal Surgery at Fortis hospital in Vasant Kunj. The patient then received chemotherapy and radiotherapy at Fortis Hospital, Noida for the next eight months during which period he lost nearly 12 kgs.
A sleeve gastrectomy has since been conducted laparoscopically on Thon and the doctors claim that he has recovered fully and is ready to fly back home.
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"Obesity is a major lifestyle problem today. The patient, having survived a rectal malignancy earlier, weighed more than what was healthy for a normal person.
"Since the patient had a family history of cancer, we counselled him to undergo a bariatric surgery to minimize the risk of a cancer relapse, obesity being a significant risk factor. We are happy that he has responded well to the treatment," said Wadhawan.
There is a known relationship between obesity and colorectal cancer. It has been observed that obese men are prone to colorectal cancer with one in every three cancer deaths in USA linked to obesity, said Dalal.