The operation to save the man who weighed 304 kg

“I can’t call what I have now a life. Being in bed all the time and in front of the computer is not a life,” said David (pseudonym), a 21-year-old young man who until recently weighed 304 kg.His story has accompanied him since childhood. “All my life I’ve been a big person. I don’t remember a time when I felt thin,” he says on the podcast “Haschtoscope”, from the Sheba Medical Center (Tel Hashomer). He says that although he did not suffer from bullying and his social status was good, but due to his weight he had to be absent from school. “From the 1st grade I didn’t go to school at all because I was in hospitals all the time,” he recalls.

About two years ago, his condition deteriorated. “I got to the point where I couldn’t walk and it brought me to severe emotional eating. It’s really a circle, every time I felt bad my refuge was eating.” He found himself confined to his house, to his bed that was built especially for him and according to his weight. “It took four months to build it, and since then all I do is be in this bed, in the bathroom, in the shower, on the computer or I’m eating. At first it was difficult, but unfortunately I’ve gotten used to it.”

 

The turn that changed his life

Last March, David came to the Sheba Medical Center (Tel Hashomer) for treatment of a medical problem with his gallbladder that is not related to his weight, he met Dr. Anna Feigin, a senior doctor in the surgical department. “I am a bariatric surgeon, and I am used to treating large people, but this one I didn’t have it,” she said on the same podcast. “This is a 21-year-old guy who suffers from extreme morbid obesity, and in fact the basis of his life is living at home with his mother, and in recent years he has not been able to get out of bed. We stopped for a moment to think about how we can help him.” According to her, excess weight of this magnitude involves significant health damage – “from damage to liver function and joints, to a heavy load on the lungs, cardiovascular system.”

The doctor looked for solutions, and finally offered David long-term hospitalization in the surgical department of the hospital, closely accompanied by a dietitian who would put together a special menu for him and a physiotherapist. The initial goal was a weight loss of about 70 kilograms, which would later allow bariatric surgery to reduce the volume of the stomach. R points out that David has a history of many attempts to lose weight, including previous hospitalization in the eating disorders department of one of the hospitals in his youth, an attempt he defines as “traumatic” which ended in abject failure. She adds that in fact over the years there was not a single medical center or framework that treats obesity that agreed to help him in an effective way that suited him.

The doctor’s proposal also required a measure of high commitment to the process. “We drew up some kind of contract between us and him, which binds us and him,” says the doctor. “He had to prove to us that he is determined, that he is willing to cooperate, that he has motivation and ability.” The hospital even decided to take extraordinary measures, and security cameras were installed in David’s room, with full consent, so the staff could monitor what was happening, and make sure that no uncontrolled food entered him. He was also asked to adhere to a personal hygiene routine and meetings with a psychologist. David describes the process and says: “You might be surprised, but eating right was the easiest part here.”

 

 

 

Indeed, within six months, David managed to lose about 70 kilograms to a weight of 220 kilograms. At this stage, the medical center began to prepare for surgery, while adjusting the operating room bed, as well as the team’s practice. Dr. Feigin says that it was also necessary to prepare from a technical point of view – “The usual things are not applicable when it comes to a boiler. If it’s a blood pressure monitor that doesn’t close, doses of medication that need to be changed, an operating room bed that needs to be able to carry it and allow for angle changes during the operation.” She adds that due to the complexity, it was also necessary to adjust the medical equipment itself. “This is the first time we’ve required devices that are long Especially, because David’s stomach wall is much more than the standard. Without the special equipment it was simply impossible to do it.”

“My dream is to go outside, to walk”

The doctor points out that the surgery that was performed is known as “sleeve surgery”, in which most of the stomach volume is removed. “Among the bariatric surgeries, sleeve surgery is a basic surgery, it is the technically simpler option, which involves less risk. However, we made it clear that in the future David may need follow-up surgery.” She also notes that one of the concerns was that the surgery would get complicated. “We thought that if due to some problem after surgery he would need a CT scan, for example, technically he would not be able to enter the CT machine As one person, these are things we had to take into account.”

About two months ago, David successfully underwent the long-awaited surgery. These days he is still hospitalized in rehabilitation in the surgical wing of the medical center. According to the doctors, he is expected to lose another 50 kilograms in the coming months. “Our goal is to return him to the circle of normal life, and until then there is still a long way to go,” concludes Dr. Feigin.

David also talks about his excitement at the success of the surgery and testifies that he feels good today, and his face is headed for the next goal – to be able to stand on his feet again on his own. “I don’t like to set myself a target weight, I want to lose weight and live a normal life. It’s fucked up, but my dream is to go out, walk. Anyone in my situation knows that it’s not really life to live like this, if you have friends you can’t go out With them, you can’t go to the movies, to the soccer field, it’s like being stuck at home all the time.” He thanks Dr. Feigin for believing in him all along. “I think a supportive environment makes it possible to do anything. Dr. Feigin saw me and didn’t give up on me, if it wasn’t for her, it seems I wouldn’t be here today.”