160-kg woman dies after weight loss surgery in Chennai

Weighing 160 kg, Valarmathi (46) of Keezhnachipatti village in Tiruvanamalai district, had, along with her two daughters and son approached doctors at Lifeline Group of Hospitals in Kilpauk for weight reduction as obesity ran in the family. While her children, who underwent surgeries and had no complications, Valarmathi reportedly suffered a cardio respiratory arrest from a multi organ failure and died. Stating that she was congenitally obese, Dr JS Rajkumar, Founder, Lifeline Group of Hospitals, said, “She was breathless to the point of not even being able to walk even a few feet. However, as her condition was worst compared to her children, Valarmathi underwent extensive preoperative work up and was supervised by the lung specialist, anaesthetist and general physician. Moreover, a sleep study found her oxygen was dipping to dangerous levels.”

Noting that the family had been silent on her earlier being admitted to Christian Medical College, Vellore, and that was ventilator dependent, a hospital statement claimed, “Throughout her 27-day treatment, the 18 specialists kept her family in the know about what was happening to her. But despite all efforts, her lungs went into Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome causing her death.”