Will a Gastric Band work for me?
Most patients should have attempted to lose weight by diet and lifestyle changes, and also where indicated, have been prescribed appropriate obesity medication. However if these attempts have failed, weight loss surgery is the only viable alternative.
After a full and careful explanation to his patients the reasons and indications for advising weight loss surgery, Mr Horner will ensure that his patients are referred to experienced colleagues in his Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT) in Metabolic Medicine and Dietetics (dietician). When considered necessary, referral to a Clinical Psychologist for a review may also be considered.
- The Metabolic Physician will ensure that all metabolic and medical issues, which may affect the outcome of surgery are assessed, especially the presence of previously diagnosed and undiagnosed conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, which can then be monitored afterwards.
- The dietician will be able review the patient pre-operatively, and offer advice and support, both in the build up for surgery, but also in the postoperative period, with regard to food preparation.
- The psychologist’s review, considered by NICE when necessary, may be an integral part of the assessment of a patient undergoing bariatric surgery, and allows patients to understand the pressures they may face after surgery, and to enable them to come to terms more readily to their "new life".
Calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index)
What does the result mean?
It is now well recognized, that morbid obesity leads to a significant lowering of life expectancy and quality of life, through its association with conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, raised cholesterol, arthritis and even cancer, to name a few.
The higher the BMI, the greater are the associated risks of developing these diseases, or if already present, of their progression.
It is estimated, that a reduction of up to 15 years of life can result from morbid obesity.
If you suffer from the conditions mentioned above, and your BMI is greater than 35, and you have tried and failed to loose weight and maintain weight loss with lifestyle changes and prescribed drugs by your GP, you should consider bariatric or weight loss surgery, as a seriously option.
If your BMI is greater than 40, you should also consider weight loss surgery, even if you do not have these medical conditions, but have failed to loose weight with the usual lifestyle changes and drug treatment.
People with a BMI greater than 50, also defined as super morbid obese, should seek advice urgently, because of the significant risks associated with conditions mentioned earlier, such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke and other severe medical problems
It is generally accepted that the significant weight losses possible through bariatric surgery, can prevent or reverse these processes.
While a healthy lifestyle with exercise, dietary regimes, correct eating habits and the use of prescribed weight loss medication alone, are always to be tried, all too often these methods fail to achieve their aims, and up to 95% of patients who have lost weight by conventional means, regain their full pre-diet weight, within 2 years.
The only assured way to loose weight, and maintain significant weight loss in the morbidly obese patient, is by surgical means.
The current methods used today by obesity surgeons are
- Gastric Banding
- Gastric Bypass
- Gastric sleeve resection- with or without a
- Duodenal switch
