A rare operation and the first of its kind in pediatric surgery worldwide has been performed at King Khaled University Hospital in Riyadh by Dr. Ayed Al-Qahtani, the hospital’s pediatric consultant. A ‘da Vinci’ robot was used to perform a gastric bypass surgery on an obese child who had become unable to move normally and suffered from joint pains and diabetes, according to a report published today by Saudi Gazette.

Gastric bypass surgery, more commonly known as stomach stapling, is a method to reduce obesity which does away with attending illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and joint pain in more than 90 percent of cases. The procedure is generally not performed on children, but was considered absolutely necessary with this child.

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