Eman Ahmed, the Egyptian woman who once weighed nearly 500 kg, was able to raise her paralytic right arm for the first time in 25 years however, there is a leakage in her heart that could be fatal, doctors treating her at a hospital in Abu Dhabi said recently.
Eman was in Mumbai’s Saifee Hospital for a weight loss treatment and was transferred to VPS Healthcare’s Burjeel Hospital on May 4 after spending three months in the Indian city.
The 36-year-old weighed 504 kg when she arrived in Mumbai on February 11 and was considered to be the world’s heaviest woman. Doctors at Saifee said that the bariatric surgery and diet regime they gave helped Eman shed 300 kg.
Eman was assessed for her physiological and psychological condition by a team of 20 specialists at the Burjeel Hospital as soon as she reached there. Dr. Yassin El-Shahat, Chief Medical Officer of the hospital, said that a priority was given to her psychological status, rehabilitation, bedsores and identify and treat the cause of a persistent fever.
“Currently we achieved a marvellous improvement in Eman’s psychological status. There is a significant improvement in her bed sores, severe urinary tract infection and kidney functions,” said Dr. El-Shahat .
“There is a significant improvement due to the rehabilitation program. Now Eman is able to raise her right arm against gravity for the first time since she had her first stroke,” Dr. El-Shahat added.
Eman suffered first stroke at the age of 11; it had paralysed the right side of her body and restricted her movements.
However, a heart echo had shown that Eman has a condition in which a leaking valve allows some of the blood to flow back to the left ventricle that can lead to a decrease in the capacity of the heart to pump sufficient blood to her body and eventually lead to heart failure.
“Eman’s heart echo revealed a severe leakage of the aortic valve. We have put her on conservative treatment with possible valve replacement as a part of the long-term plan,” Dr. El-Shahat further added.
The CMO said that a panel of an advanced genetic work up has been sent to Germany for possible detection of any genetic disorders that many explain her condition and help in obesity management. Saifee Hospital had already performed a genetic study for 91 genes responsible for obesity-related issues. Eman was diagnosed with a mutation in LEPR gene.
Doctors said that Eman’s pelvis, upper limbs and lower limbs have severe deformities in her hip and knee joints. The added Eman’s treatment will be divided into long term and short term plan for her rehabilitation.
“Further reduction of weight is planned by strict diet and possible surgical intervention may be a part of the long-term plan,” Dr. El-Shahat, pointed out a possibility of another weight reduction surgery that Eman may have to undergo in the future.
Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Managing Director and Founder of VPS Healthcare, is following Eman’s case personally on a daily basis.
“He has given instructions to the treating doctors to use all the possible resources to achieve the maximum of best outcomes,” Dr. El-Shahat added.
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