135kg Afghan girl undergoes weight loss surgery

A 13-year-old Afghan girl weighing 135 kg has found a solution to her morbid obesity in India. She has undergone a weight loss surgery at a private hospital here, hoping to lose 60 kg over the next six months, a doctor said Saturday. Bariatric surgery to reduce weight is ususally not performed on children but Parsila Jan was operated upon as a special case. "Parsila was considered as a special case because she had a very feeble chance of losing weight by diet and exercise alone," said Atul NC Peters, director of advanced laparoscopic and bariatric surgery at Primus Hospital in south Delhi. "The girl had a history of progressive weight gain over the last three years. She weighed 135 kg and after examination we decided to conduct a weight loss surgery followed by a knock-knee surgery," he said. In the knock-knee condition, when standing straight with ankles at rectangle, the patient's knees touch each other. It causes problems in walking and limb movement. "The patient is doing well after the recent surgery and is expected to lose 60 kg in next six-nine months," Peters said. Her surgery cost Rs 260,000.