Alexandria Fox opted to undergo the surgery in India after Dr Kesava Reddy Mannur successfully performed a similar surgery on her husband.
Published Aug 24, 2025 | 12:11 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 24, 2025 | 12:11 PM
Dr. Kesava Reddy Mannur, Alexandria Fox, Jane Fox, and Ankita R Chawla, the Medical Director of KIMS.
Synopsis: Dr. Mannur performed a sleeve gastrectomy—a minimally invasive bariatric procedure in which about two-thirds of the stomach is removed. By reducing the size of the stomach, the surgery not only restricts food intake but also improves insulin resistance (the body’s inability to use insulin properly, often linked to type-2 diabetes).
Hyderabad is fast becoming a global destination for medical tourism, and the latest example comes from an unlikely source: the backstreets of London.
A 59-year-old British taxi driver, Alexandria Fox, flew thousands of miles to Hyderabad to undergo bariatric surgery at KIMS Hospitals, Gachibowli, in Hyderabad.
Fox, who weighed 102 kg before surgery, has long battled hypertension, thyroid disease, and kidney failure. The physically demanding nature of her profession—as one of London’s elite cab drivers, a role that requires years of rigorous training and encyclopedic knowledge of the city’s streets—meant her health was no longer something she could compromise on.
She decided to come to India based on a personal success story. In 2023, Dr. Kesava Reddy Mannur performed a gastric bypass surgery in London on her husband, Jane Fox, who lost an astonishing 64 kg and saw her diabetes and hypertension disappear completely. Convinced by her recovery, Alexandria travelled with him to Hyderabad, determined to undergo her own transformation.
At KIMS Hospitals, Dr. Mannur performed a sleeve gastrectomy—a minimally invasive bariatric procedure in which about two-thirds of the stomach is removed. By reducing the size of the stomach, the surgery not only restricts food intake but also improves insulin resistance (the body’s inability to use insulin properly, often linked to type-2 diabetes).
According to Dr. Mannur, the procedure will help lower her blood pressure, improve her kidney health, and allow her to potentially reduce her weight to 70 kg over time. “She had a very positive mindset, recovered within 24 hours, and was discharged the next day,” he said at a press conference. “She is walking around the hotel already and will fly back to England in three days.”
Dr. Mannur stressed that bariatric surgery is not just about slimming down. “Sleeve gastrectomy is safe, minimally invasive, and has long-term benefits. It helps in controlling diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnoea, improving overall quality of life. It can add at least a decade to life expectancy when done with the right approach,” he explained.
Dr. Mannur’s credentials are as global as his patients. With over 45 years of surgical experience in London, he performed the city’s first laparoscopic surgery in 1990 and pioneered bariatric surgery there in 1998, establishing one of its largest centres.
Known for taking on complex cases that others avoid, he has treated patients from the USA, Australia, the Middle East, and across Europe. After more than four decades abroad, he returned to Hyderabad to head the Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery Department at KIMS, aiming to make it one of the country’s leading centres.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
