After struggling for more than four years in search of a treatment for a rare genetic disorder, Nandwana sisters from Una in Saurashtra region of Gujarat, can now hope to lead a better life.
Around six weeks ago, Yogita, 8, and, Amisha, 6, underwent bariatric surgery at the Asian Bariatrics hospital, Ahmedabad.
Dr Mahendra Narwaria, chairman, Asian Bariatrics, who performed the laproscopic sleeve gastrectomy bariatric surgery on the sisters, said that Yogita lost nine kg and Amisha 10kg.
He said that both the sisters are suffering from leptin receptor mutation—the absence of leptin makes them feel hungry even after a meal.
Narwaria said that since leptin hormones were not available in India and are too costly to be imported, they decided to reduce the stomach size of the two girls.
Both the sisters had normal birth weight. As against an ideal BMI of 22, these girls had a BMI of 44.
The Nandwanas have four children. The eldest girl is normal and the youngest child is also obese but they would wait for a few years before going in for a surgery. The father is a farmer and mother home-maker.
The doctor termed the surgeries life-saving as obesity can affect the organs of the girls. They are already suffering from fatty liver and sleep apnea.
The cost of the surgery starts around Rs 2.5 lakh and the medicines cost Rs 1,500 monthly. However, for Yogita and Amisha, the hospital is bearing all the expenses.
Narwaria said that he hoped that in around two years, the girls would shed about 80 to 90 per cent of excess weight. The stomach, according to him, would become normal in around five years and by then, they would train the girls to indulge in sports and other activities so that they do not gain excess weight again. According to him, the girls would require life-long monitoring.
Narwaria said that before operating the girls, they had sought financial support from the state government. “We did not receive any answer,” he said, adding that the surgeries had to performed at any cost.
Ironically, former chief minister Anandiben Patel had promised all support from the Gujarat government. Yogita and Amisha had also stayed at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital for treatment. It did not yield any result. Sources said that lack of coordination on the part of authorities could have been the reason for the children not getting the promised help from the then chief minister.
The mother told THE WEEK they were also taken to Mumbai for a check-up but could not go ahead with the treatment as it was costly.