A feature that is common to all patients of metabolic surgeon and endocrinologist Kongara Ravikanth is they are being crushed under their own weight.
Sundarapalli Prasad (43) weighs 240 kg. For his height, he should be a little over 70 kg. So, he is 170 kg overweight. His heart and lungs have been found to be working overtime and are under stress. Mr. Prasad, who eked out a living as a heavy vehicle driver, quit his job five years ago owing to his body weight.
He went to several hospitals but to no avail.
Finally, he met Dr. Ravikanth. If Mr. Prasad is allowed on the present trajectory, his vital organs like heart and lungs may get worn out.
“I cannot turn away a patient, even if there are only slight chances. But, the surgery is expensive. We have a transparent system where donors can give money directly to patients.
Patients have been coming here from across South India, many of them after being refused treatment by bigger hospitals for very obvious reasons,” Dr. Ravikanth said. Once a metabolic operation is done on Mr. Prasad, he will not feel the excess hunger. The body will gradually burn up fat over a couple of months, and the patient could lose over 100 kg, he added.
43-year-old Sundarapalli Prasad weighs 240 kg
