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Before Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery
| Why consider bariatric surgery? |
| The primary reason people consider bariatric surgery is to achieve sustained weight loss. Surgery may be required to help psychosocial well being, to improve co-morbidities or as a last resort from failed weight loss attempts |
| How many people in the UK are obese? |
| 60.8% (30,075,270) of adults aged 16+ are overweight/obese in the UK and 24% (7,218,060) of these are obese (Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet- The information Centre, NHS website) |
| Who is eligible for surgery? |
| People’s eligibility for surgery is dependent on their BMI, co-morbidities, location and several other criteria. See the ‘NICE Guidelines’ section for more information |
| How many people who are obese have surgery? |
| In 2006/2007 there were 1890 bariatric surgeries performed: 80% on women and 20% on men (Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet- The information Centre, NHS website). Bariatric surgery is a growing field and these figures are expected to rise in future years |
| Who will I see in the weeks prior to the surgery? |
| For surgery to be successful, patients require a multidisciplinary team approach. You will attend a pre-assessment clinic (lasting approximately 2 hours) with the psychologist, dietician, specialist nurse and surgeon. Further appointments may be necessary depending on the pre-assessment clinic outcome and the exact support package you require |
| Can I say no to a suggested surgery? |
| Yes. The surgeon will have selected the most appropriate surgery for you and will fully justify the reasons for their choice. However you are always entitled to decline their recommendation |
| Do I need to change my diet before surgery? |
| You will need to spend between 1-2 weeks on a pre-operative diet, predominantly made up of milk. Though it seems unappealing, its purpose is to shrink down enlarged livers that can complicate the surgery. You will be required to take a multivitamin daily. If patients are milk intolerant, they will need to maintain a strict, very low carbohydrate diet. |
| What types of surgery are available? |
| Surgery needs to be matched to the level of weight loss you require and whether you have co-morbidities. Generally, patients hoping to lose a larger amount of weight would undergo a gastric bypass whereas patients needing to lose less weight may have a gastric band inserted. See the ‘Our procedures’ section for more information. |
| How much will the surgery cost? |
| Gastric banding procedures start at £6068 and bypass operations from £9808. For a more comprehensive list, see the ‘Price List’ section |
| How will the operation help me lose weight? |
| The bypass and the band cause weight loss in different ways. The gastric band is a ‘restrictive’ surgery which means that it limits the amount of food you can eat, enabling you to lose weight. The bypass is not only restrictive but also ‘malabsorptive’ meaning that less of the food you eat is absorbed into the body. |
| How can I discover more/book an appointment? |
| Come to one of our seminars or book an appointment (click through). We will then send a letter to you confirming a pre-assessment appointment with the multi disciplinary team. Please see the ‘contact us’ section for more details. |
| Do I need to stop taking my medications before surgery? |
Depend on medication you are on. You will be told at the appropriate time.
Any patients on Aspirin, Warfarin or ACE inhibitors will have to alter their medication one week prior to surgery. Diabetic patients will have their medications modified too during the milk diet. The surgeons will provide more specific information at the pre-assessment clinic |
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