Background Our area, corona (COVID-19) quarantine was applied from March 14 to April 23, 2020. It was in all forms, including curfew, social distancing, self-quarantine, area quarantine, self-monitoring, and isolation. Due to their concerns about their safety and families, friends, colleagues, and society, everybody was feeling upset, fearful, and anxious. Several studies have reported an association between prolonged sitting time and weight gain. As a way to relieve the tension during that period, people started stocking up on unhealthy foods like over-salted snacks and over-sweetened sugars. People stayed at home, feeling bored, anxious, and stressed and sought relief by eating. Also, there was a rise in emotional eating when the stress of isolation increased by the closure of gyms, casinos, and movie theaters. Moreover, restaurants were allowed to serve the only takeout. Besides, unemployment was skyrocketing, hospitals were overflowing (or were preparing for the possibility), many people were struggling to meet their basic needs, and no one knows when or how it would end. Objective The study aimed to figure out whether social isolation during the COVID-19 quarantine is consistent and associated with emotional eating and gaining weight or not. Methods A prospective cross-sectional case series study was conducted on 765 patients who have visited the bariatric clinic in Sulaimani city, Kurdistan-Iraq, from April 23 to June 23, 2020. An individual face-to-face interview was conducted with each participant to obtain signed informed consent, provide them with information about the type and the subject of the work, and ask them the study's questions. Each interview lasted between 30 and 45 min and was conducted in a closed session by two Kurdistan Board trainees. Results No patient who was quarantined for the COVID-19 was included in the work, but all other patients were included. The selected patients were those who had undergone social distancing (n = 568, 82.48%) by the local law and did self-isolation (n = 134, 17.51%) at home for reasons like having comorbidity, being prone to contamination due to their jobs (health, police, and media workers), having some family members at home with comorbidity (n = 23, 03.00%), and having comorbidity and having undergone social distancing because of their other family members’ need to do so for their physical disability (n = 25, 03.27%). Almost all patients (n = 741, 96.86%), even, those with comorbidity (n = 136, 17.78%) , were emotionally stable before the outbreak . Seventy-three female patients (09.54%) and138 males (20.65%) sustain their weight during and two months after the outbreak, while the rest (n = 554, 72.41%) gained different amounts of weight. Conclusion Social distancing and self-isolation in the last COVID-19 outbreak influenced weight gain, but wei...

BackgroundHealth-related quality of life of obese patients, before and after weight loss by insertion of BioEnterics Intra-gastric Balloon is studied widely. But the quality of life not related to comorbidity of the obese patients like mood, satisfaction with relationships, achieved goals, self-concepts, and self-perceived ability to cope with one's daily life is not studied on a wide scale.AimTo evaluates the effect of the obesity on different aspects of life, and to evaluate the influence of weight loss after BIB insertion or Atkins diet on the quality of life regarding mood, satisfaction with relationships, achieved goals, self-concepts, and self-perceived ability to cope with one's daily life.Patients, materials, and methodsA prospective randomized study, from a total of 180 patients, 80 patients were selected to enroll in the work, over a period of 4 years from 2008 to 2012 in Hatwan private hospital and the private clinic, the closing date was 1st January 2013.Approval for the current work was obtained from the Ethics Committee of University, College of Medicine. The work has been reported in line with the STROCSS criteria. The study was designed as a descriptive longitudinal study conducted on 40 patients who underwent intra-gastric balloon insertion compared to a matched group (for age, BMI) of 40 patients on Atkin's diet.ResultsTwo comparable groups of obese patients were studied, each group consists of 40 female patients, mean age in group A was 27 years (20–39 years) with mean body weight 90 kg (80–100) and mean body mass index 36 (31–39.9) who were treated with insertion of BIB. While mean age in group B was 29 years (20–39 years) with mean body weight 91 kg (80–102) and mean body mass index 36.5 (31–39.9). Statistically important changes occurred in the quality of life of the patients after either method of treatments to different degrees (p-value 0.005917).ConclusionThe patients lost more weight after insertion of intra-gastric balloon up to 35 kg of body weight, while the patients on Atkins diet lost up to 20 kg body weight. This results in statistically significant improvement of most aspects of QOL. Especially in Feeling happier, more satisfaction with the new body image, Improvement of self-esteem, encouraged for more regular exercises, less nervous, embarrassed less by unimportant matters, have less negative thoughts, and the craving of foods decreased remarkably.

BackgroundObesity influences all aspects of the life of obese patients physically, psychologically, socially and monetarily, it is not only a disease but rather a beginning point of a group of ailments and inabilities, which gradually impacts and changes all aspects of their life.ObjectivesThe changes in the Quality of life in respect to the amount of access weight lost after sleeve gastrectomy.Patients, materials and methodsA prospective longitudinal study evaluating 40 female patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy within 4 years, starting from July 4th, 2012 up to July 5th, 2016.ResultsMore than three-quarter of the patients were not satisfied with their body before their operation, but six to twelve months after their weight loss; (N = 36, 90%) of them were satisfied with their new body image. Half of the patients were unhappy before their operation, but twelve months later (N = 31, 77.5%) of them became much happier. Regarding satisfaction with the body image, noticeable improvement occurred since (N = 36, 90%) of them were satisfied with their new body image. While, most of them have had low self-esteem and (N 27, 67.5%) of the patients had no self-esteem at all, 12 months after the operation (N = 35, 87.5%) felt great improvement in their self-esteem (p-value = .040). A significant decrease in appetite was noticed in (N = 39, 97.5%) of the patients after 12 months.ConclusionSignificant changes in the parallel pattern to the extent of EWL were noticed in the quality of life of morbidly obese patients after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

The most common surgical emergency is suspected acute appendicitis, the lifetime risk of acute appendicitis is estimated to be 8.6% for men and 6.7% for women, with a male to female ratio of 1.4:1; correct diagnosis can be made in 70-80% of patients after the operations about 32% of appendectomies revealed normal appendices and meanwhile appendectomy has a considerable morbidity and mortality. The aim is to explore potential morbidity and mortality associated with negative appendectomy. Prospective case series study, including 5847 patients, who were suspected to have acute appendicitis over a period of five years from 1st December 2013 to 30th November 2018, in emergency department of Sulaimani Teaching Hospital. All the collected data were collected, organized then analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21. Morbidity in the patients with negative appendectomies occurred in patients in the form of 90 (01.91%) wound infection, 48 (01.02%) intestinal obstruction and last 15 (00.32%) patients developed septicemia. While mortality in negative appendectomy patients was 21, (00.45%). Negative appendectomies have high rates of morbidity and mortality, knowing real rates may help in considering various policies and may be helpful to elude avoidable complications and potential mortality. Non traumatic acute abdomen is 4-8% of adults admitted to the emergency department 1,2. The most common surgical emergency is suspected acute appendicitis, "the lifetime risk of acute appendicitis is estimated to be 8.6% for men and 6.7% for women" 3. Males are affected one and half more times than females 4 while definite diagnosis could be done in 70-80% of patients 1 , after the operations about 32% of appendectomies revealed normal appendices 5 , In females of child bearing age, gynecological pathologies are simulating acute appendicitis 1 , which may increase the prevalence of negative appendectomies. Clinical suspicion of acute appendicitis is mostly done on patient's symptoms and physical findings, including Alvarado score "which has adding accuracy (98.60%) versus computerized tomography (CT) scan (99.03%) 6. Although laboratory blood and urine investigations and simple imaging like plain erect abdominal radiogram and ultrasonography of abdomen and pelvis may aid in accuracy of the diagnosis. "But are not as helpful as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT scan, which have accuracy of 98% in diagnosing acute appendicitis and lastly diagnostic laparoscopy" 1,3,7-10 .

Background: One of the top worldwide health problems is overweight and obesity, Body weight gain over a number of years could be achieved through cumulative positive energy balances, which may be the result of habitual behaviors adopted through personal choice. Despite the increased in physical activity, the percentage of people who are overweight has increased, after decades-old efforts and awareness on the issue to nudge consumers towards healthier lifestyles through dietary guidelines, diet-related diseases are still on the rise. Is there potential variables need to be evaluated for any relation with gaining weight and obesity in the patient's life styles? Objectives: Exploration of the possible factors in the life style of overweight and obese patients, resulting in weight gain. Patients and Methods: A prospective randomized study including 440 overweight or obese patients from a total of 689 patients, who consulted for advice, diet and or drugs and various bariatric operations. This was conducted in the period of 5 years from January 2, 2012 to October 1, 2017. For the information collection, each patient was interviewed face-to-face, by three Surgical Board Trainees were interviewing patients face-to-face to fill an originally-designed questionnaire in English translated to the Kurdish language. The questionnaire was composed of demographic data, medical data, biological data, and potential factors of their overweight or obesity. A comparison was made between these patients in the conception of case matching to 446 patients who were of normal body weight, and a normal BMI. Results: Most of the patients (females; n = 200, 86.95% and males; n = 167, 79.52%) in group A, while (females; n = 14, 5.90% and males; n = 21, 10.05%) were drinking water within 30 min after every meals, meanwhile (females; n = 202, 85.23%, and males; n = 173, 82.77%) from group B patients were drinking water 60 min after every meals. Nearly half of the patients have a Television in their kitchen/dining room (n = 239/440, 54.39%), however only (51.59%), (13.90%) of the patients from group A, and B respectively were watching TV while eating, A great number of the patients (Group A: n = 358, 81.36%) were operating their computers while eating, versus minority (n = 53, 11.88%), in Group B, and majority of the patients in group A were using their smart phones or making phone calls while eating (n = 390/440, 88.63%) versus small number (n = 49/460, 10.65%) in group B. Conclusion: Excessive habitual usage of a cell phone, early drinking (within 30 min) of water or other liquids after meals may be the potential factors in the initiation of becoming overweight and obese. University students living in the areas where entertainments are not affordable for all, the only remaining entertainment is using cellphones for social media and communication may be more vulnerable to gain weight, overweight and obesity. Highlights: