Do I need surgery?

There are a number of widely accepted criteria which make a patient suitable for Bariatric or weight loss surgery:

Weight greater than 45kg above the ideal body weight for sex, and height
BMI > 40 by itself or >35 if there are associated comorbidities E.g. obesity illness, such as diabetes or sleep apnoea
Reasonable attempts at other weight loss techniques
Age 18-65
Obesity related health problems

Weight Loss Surgery

Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculator

BMI is a calculation of the balance between your height and your weight. It is a general approach used in determining the amount of body fat you carry and is the first measuring tool when considering levels of obesity.

Do I qualify for surgery?

There is considerable flexibility in these guidelines. Patients as young as 12 have been offered surgery. Sometimes a lower BMI between 30-35 is accepted if potentially severe and life threatening comorbidities exist.

Is my BMI > 40, or > 35 with co-morbidities (see our BMI calculator to calculate your BMI)

Co-morbidities are other medical conditions such as type two diabetes or sleep apnoea or arthritis

There may be times when a lower BMI (<35kg/m²) may be considered, however this will be at the discretion of the team and must be discussed with the team (please advise us on phoning your BMI is on the lower side)

As well as the medical reasons, there are also some other factors we need to consider before approving a patient for surgery. Largely they are more behavioural elements, and some of the questions you need to ask yourself are:

Questions to ask yourself:

Have you dieted in the past?
Do you think you may need help?
Can you commit to surgery as a tool and use behaviours to determine your long term success?

Our Surgical Weight Solutions

Gastric Band

An inflatable band is placed around the upper part of your stomach and stitched into position. This limits the portion sizes you eat, decreases the calories you take in whilst giving you a feeling of fullness that lasts between meals.

The band is inflatable & deflatable via a plastic port that sits under your skin. This allows the band to be adjustable, which is a fundamental characteristic as this enables patients to continue to lose weight. Band adjustment is required 4 to 6 weekly in the 1st year to maintain a steady rate of weight loss. The operation is reversible which means that if the band is removed then the GI tract anatomy returns to normal.

Gastric Bypass

A gastric bypass can aid weight loss by restricting the amount of food the stomach can hold. It also alters the way food gets passed through the digestive system, thereby resulting in fewer calories to be absorbed.

This procedure is performed in a minimally invasive manner with the help of small incisions, smaller surgical instruments, and a laparoscope.

Gastric Sleeve

The Gastric Sleeve is a restrictive procedure meaning that it achieves weight loss results by restricting the amount of food that your body is physically able to take in. There is no malabsorption involved with this procedure. Gastric Sleeve surgery involves permanently removing a large portion of the stomach, anywhere from 60% to 85% of the total stomach.

The portion left behind is a slim tube or “sleeve” that will serve as your new stomach. This stomach is already connected naturally to the stomach inlet and outlet which means that no rerouting of the intestines is needed.

Revisional Surgery

If you have had complications with previous surgery we are also able to provide solutions which can help.

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Weight loss after surgery

Approximately 60-70% of excess weight can be lost if the general rules pertaining to exercise and diet are followed post-operatively. Some weight regain is commonly seen at 18 months but sustained weight loss in the order of 50% of excess weight loss is generally seen at 5 years and beyond.

Most weight loss is seen in the first 12 months. Sometimes it can be precipitous which is not of concern as long as vitamins and adequate protein, 60-80g, per day are taken.

Sometimes patients plateau for periods and do not lose weight. This may last from a few weeks to longer but weight loss resumes as long as the correct diet and exercise recommendations are being followed.

If sudden weight gain occurs then xrays may need to be taken to see if the staple lines have disrupted. This is generally seen at a later date and the incidence has reduced now that the stomach is divided between staple lines.