A 16-year-old Delhi boy weighing approximately 275 kg has undergone a successful laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital after presenting with severe obesity-related complications, including breathing difficulty, obstructive sleep apnea and extensive skin infection. His BMI was approaching 100. The complexity of the case was evident even before surgery. The teenager had to be transported to the hospital in a matador because he could not fit into a conventional car.

He subsequently spent nearly two weeks in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit while respiratory and other complications were stabilized before he could be considered fit for an operation. Given the combination of extreme obesity, young age and severe sleep apnea, the surgical team treated the case as a high-risk procedure. Nearly 20 specialists were involved in evaluating and optimizing him, with input from…