Weight Loss (Bariatric Surgery)

Obesity is the disease of the modern age. Increased stress and reduced movement, combined with poor dietary habits, have made it one of the three leading causes of illness and death in modern life. Obesity not only causes a negative body image but also facilitates the onset of chronic disease such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and even some forms of cancer.

Bariatric surgery includes a variety of procedures performed on people living with obesity. Weight loss is achieved by reducing the size of the stomach with a gastric band, by removing a portion of the stomach — sleeve gastrectomy, or biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch — or by resecting and re-routing the small intestine to a small stomach pouch, as in gastric bypass surgery.

Long-term studies show that these procedures cause significant sustained weight loss, recovery from diabetes, improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, and a reduction in mortality.

Who it is for Bariatric surgery is recommended for people with a body mass index of at least 40, and for people with a BMI of at least 35 together with serious coexisting conditions such as diabetes. Emerging research suggests it may also be appropriate at a BMI of 35 to 40 with no comorbidities, or 30 to 35 with significant comorbidities.

What to be aware of The generally accepted adverse effect rates for abdominal surgery apply here too, and complications tend to be higher in patients with morbid obesity. Patients must work closely with their surgeons and physicians after surgery, since medication for conditions such as diabetes will need adjusting. Dietary habits must also change, because the anatomy of the gastrointestinal system has changed. Dietary rules and feeding frequency differ according to the technique used, and are discussed once the operation is planned and the technique decided.

Procedures available

• Sleeve gastrectomy
• Gastric bypass
• Mini gastric bypass
• Adjustable gastric band
• Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch
• Gastric balloon
• Revision bariatric surgery
• Pre-operative assessment
• Dietitian follow-up programme