‘I began to feel hungry all the time’

Dr Rami Al Ani, Paediatrics, Mafraq Hospital, shared his experience with weigh-loss surgery, highlighting the ups and downs of post-surgery life.

The 30-year-old saw sleeve gastronomy as his last option back in 2015, when his weight hit 120kg.

He explained that being a doctor himself, he knew the common consequences that could rise from surgeries. However, he was not prepared for what he was about to experience.

“The day after surgery, I had severe pain because of the gas that they filled my stomach with, I was literally crying,” he recalled.

“For the first two weeks I was on a liquid diet only, after three-four weeks I was allowed to have semi-solids, but once I started to eat semi-solids, I began to feel hungry all the time.” He noted that although he felt hungry throughout the day, as soon as he ate, he would instantly feel full.

“Even with weight loss surgery I always felt hungry, but I would feel full after two bites maximum, especially in the first three months.”

Dr Al Ani, who has so far lost 45kg, said that he also suffered from severe diarrhea, to the point that he avoided going out in public.

“The other issue I suffered from was the none stop burping, which lasted for at least six weeks — not all doctors might tell patients about this.”

Although he has no regret with his decision and was pleased with the overall operation, his advice for those seeking surgery is to research before making any grave decisions.

“Some people believe that such surgeries will make them feel full, but it is not true,” he told Khaleej Times.