| Q Am I eligible for obesity surgery?
A. If your BMI is greater than 35 you may be eligible for obesity surgery. You should already have tried supervised dieting and medical treatment supervised by your GP. If your BMI is over 50 then surgery can be recommended as first line treatment in some patients. If your BMI is between 35 and 40 surgery is usually reserved for patients who have already developed a weight related illness. All patients must be fit enough to undergo the proposed surgery and have an anaesthetic. Q What operations are available to me? A. Mr Stuart performs laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding and laparoscopic gastric stapling with Roux-en-Y bypass. Some patients may be more suited to an open gastric bypass, for instance if they have had previous abdominal surgery. Whilst the operation recommended for you will be individualized, in general Mr Stuart’s practice has been to recommend the Lap Band when your BMI is between 35 and 45. If your BMI exceeds 45, his practice is to discuss both the LAGB and the LRYGB with you. Q. How much weight could I expect to lose following surgery? It is difficult to predict the amount of weight loss an individual might experience after surgery. The initial weight loss tends to be more rapid after the LRYGBypass than LAGBand, but these differences become less over time. Weight loss after surgery is measured in terms of the percentage of your pre-op excess body weight that you lose (%EWL). The averages from the published literature are listed under each of the procedures outlined elsewhere in this website. In all patients, the greater the personal commitment from yourself, the greater the achievement in terms of weight loss. The concept should be of a partnership between yourself and your operation. On its own, surgery may not achieve your expectations. You need to adopt a healthy eating strategy along with increasing your daily exercise. Q. Are there any complications associated with this surgery? A. Yes, this is major surgery and is not without its complications. It is not something to undertake lightly and you need to be aware that it has a risk of serious complications. The levels of risk varies between the different procedures and are detailed in the information about each operation elsewhere on this website. However, there are also risks in not losing weight if you are obese and it is usually a matter of balancing the risks versus the benefits. Q. Who can I turn to for advice about this type of surgery? A. Mr Stuart will be happy to answer any questions if you wish to make an appointment. Alternatively you could discuss your weight problems with your general practitioner. There are many useful websites which can be referred to including: www.bmiweightloss.co.uk www.bospa.org.uk www.wlsinfo.org.uk www.nice.org.uk www.ukobesitysurgery.co.uk The content of these websites is not necessarily endorsed by Mr Stuart. Q. Will I be restricted in what I can eat? A. Yes, you will be restricted to a considerable extent in the amount of food you can eat. You will be assessed by a specialist dietician and given the relevant advice to help you cope after the surgery. The emphasis is that you regain control over your eating habits with the surgery allowing this to be maintained long-term. Q. Can obesity surgery fail to maintain weight loss? A. Yes, it is possible to be disappointed by the amount of weight you lose or to regain weight in the longer term. Your input is required and the concept should be that you use the surgery as a tool to support the commitment you are making to change your eating habits and lifestyle. If you are looking for a quick fix without addressing these fundamental issues then perhaps obesity surgery is not in your best interests at this moment in time. Listed under each of the types of operations in this website are the averages for expected weight loss. Please remember these are averages and around the average is a range of people, some of whom do better and others who do worse than the average. Q. What about smoking, do I need to stop? A. Yes, you do need to stop smoking. Now that you are changing your lifestyle and will have the support of the weight loss surgery, it is an ideal time for you to stop smoking. The combination of obesity and smoking multiplies your risk for developing serious associated illness. The main reason you are considering obesity surgery is to reduce your risk of dying prematurely from these illnesses. If you continue to smoke you will undermine any benefit from the surgery. Mr Stuart will seek a commitment from you to stop smoking if you are to be considered for the surgery. |
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