Morbidly obese chlid loses weight for the first time after surgery

 Zoya Khan with her mother at their Vakola home – Puneet Chandhok, DNA

Today, 3-year-old Zoya Khan is on her way to leading a normal life. The child, who underwent a surgery to check her weight when she was a mere toddler, now weighs 17.5kg, a drop from the 19kg which she previously weighed.

dna had in October 2013 reported about Zoya, who was found to be suffering from morbid obesity caused by a genetic disorder passed on to her by her parents, Yusuf, 25, and Tajkhatul, 23, who are first cousins

When Zoya was born in December 2010, she weighed a normal 3kg. However, within 11 months, her weight had shot up to 19kg, leaving her parents bewildered. But after performing a successful surgery on the toddler two years ago, doctors at Breach Candy Hospital managed to arrest her weight gain.

The doctors are today pleased to know that not only has her weight dropped for the first time since her birth, but she is also able to play and walk around like children her age. She has also grown taller and doesn’t suffer from respiratory disorders like she did before.

“At the age of two, their son Faizan weighed a whopping 22kgs. He had developed respiratory problems too, to which he succumbed,” said Dr Sanjay Borude, treating obesity surgeon, Breach Candy Hospital.

Zoya’s weight had ballooned to 7kgs a mere two days after her birth. While family and friends thought she was just a hungry baby who needed to be breastfed seven to eight times a day, Tajkhatul were not convinced.

“I met the paediatrician at Nair hospital. They put my daughter on a diet and made her go through a lot of blood tests before referring her to Dr Borude.” added Tajkhatul.

Dr Borude had never before seen a case like this one. “In my 15 years of work, I have performed thousands of surgeries on people which helped them lose 20-30kgs after the surgery. But this was different. Zoya had also developed respiratory problems and would snore all night,” he said.

Zoya underwent sleeve gastrectomy, a restrictive form of weight-loss surgery in which approximately 85% of the stomach is removed, leaving a cylindrical or sleeve shaped stomach. The removal of the major part of the stomach results in the virtual elimination of ghrelin hormones, which stimulate hunger. It gives the feeling of instant fullness after a light meal.

The Khans, who are from Santa Cruz, live a hand-to-mouth existence. Yusuf sells toys for a living. Tajkhatul says, “We were worried about the expenses, but thankfully a charity helped us out.”