Risk involved in operating Eman is huge: Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala

Dr Muffazal LakdawalaNervousness isnt a word that inspires much confidence especially in one of Indias leading bariatric surgeons But Dr Muffazal Lakdawala is candid enough to admit that this is his most challenging case yet He tells midday what prompted him to help Eman Ahmad overcome morbid obesity the obstacles ahead and being on the threshold of medical historyDr Lakdawala who is also the chairman of the Institute of Minimal Invasive Surgical Sciences and Research Centre at Saifee Hospital where Eman is being treated says hes ready to risk it all to allow the Egyptian national a shot at a quality life mdash she reportedly weighs 500 kg and suffers from a number of ailmentsAlso Read Salman Khan will fulfill the wish of worlds heaviest woman EmanDr Muffazal Lakdawala with Eman Ahmed Abdulati on her arrival in Mumbai on February 11Excerpts from an exclusive interviewWhats Emans current conditionDespite being bedridden for 25 years she keeps smiling all the time She is a strong woman Her condition was much worse when I met her in Egypt last month She has lost 22 kg Her creatinine level has come down from 367 to 19 We will bring it further down to the normal level of 12 Potassium levels over 5 are considered life threatening In Emans case it was 67 Even by touching her arm I can sense that her condition is improving Her skin was thicker before since there was little movement now it is soft How do you communicate with herOwing to a stroke she suffered at the age of 11 her speech is slurred Eman doesnt talk much it is her sister who has a basic grasp of English who translates for me We will soon start speech therapy to enable her to tell her story in her own words I am learning Arabic too Egyptian doctors have claimed that you brought Eman to India for publicitys sakeYes people have made such allegations But the claim that I brought a patient weighing 500 kg from Egypt to Mumbai just for personal benefits is farfetched When no one helped Eman her sister approached me around six months agoBeing a doctor I couldnt turn down the request If I had wanted publicity I would have informed the media the day Emans sister sought me out But the world learnt of the case only when Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj helped with the medical visa I have already operated on famous celebrities and politicians So Im not famehungry I receive hundreds of messages every day from people in Egypt saying theyre praying for EmanRead Story Sister leaves 2yearold behind in Egypt to be by Eman Ahmeds sideWas there any tussle between India and Egypt over the case Are you satisfied with the help youve receivedThis is a unique case in which two foreign governments came together just to rescue a patient Starting from Consul General of Egypt in Mumbai Ahmad Khalil and Governor of Alexandria Hani El Messiry the police airport officials companies like NOSCO and Horus which helped transport Eman in Egypt to Egypts national carrier EgyptAir especially Mohy and Alex of air cargo services everybody supported us wholeheartedlyHow does it feel being under the public glare Youre on the threshold of scripting medical historyIm very nervous To be frank my friends asked me why I am taking such a huge risk but I took the challenge for Emans sake She couldnt even move She hadnt seen the sun in 25 years and excreted in bed If I succeed in making her stand on her feet there is little for me to gain as people already know me I am risking everything that I have earned through years of hard work just for her So yes I am nervous but I am ready to risk all just for her I dont want to come under undue pressure Laughs When Im under too much pressure I just listen to musicWhen are you going to operate on herThe aim is to first make her lose 200 kg to enable her to go home in six months If she is able to move and sit freely I might go to Egypt to operate on her after oneandahalf years of observation and treatment Are there other such patients approaching you nowI have received requests since Emans case came into the spotlight from patients in Switzerland Russia Saudi and the UAE who have undergone bariatric surgeries to redo their procedures These patients had undergone surgeries in the US and the UK but were not happy with the results