Saturday 14 / June / 2025
Muscat: Patients at the Royal Hospital can now have a lower-impact version of a gastric bypass surgery.
The Royal Hospital recently launched a mini-gastric bypass surgery service, using a surgical endoscope, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health.
The surgical procedure targets patients suffering both from obesity and acute diabetes and patients who have exhausted other weight-loss procedures.
The first mini gastric bypass intervention was carried out at the hospital by Dr. Hind al Majrafi, general surgery and obesity consultant, under the supervision of Dr. Ali Khammas, who is the head of surgery at Rashid bin Maktoom Hospital in the UAE.
Al Majrafi said, "The procedure causes the intestines to absorb less nutrition, and it also lowers the volume that can house food. It would be limited to 120-150 ml, meaning that the patient would need less food to feel full. Within a year, this procedure can lower a person’s weight by over 75 per cent.
"On the other hand, there is a large amount of technical knowledge required for the surgery, as well a highly precise team and an understanding of how to deal with illnesses which accompany obesity."
The statement added, "Dr. Hind clarified that the procedure requires five small openings in the abdominal area — only between 0.5 and 1 centimetre in diameter. The endoscope is then inserted into one of this openings until it reaches the area, after which the stomach is stapled and a sleeve is attached between the stomach and intestines."
