getting gastric band privately - advice please

anguk

I don't have any experience of this operation but personally I would be wary of going abroad. As I understand it the op is not without risks and I would be worried if something went wrong, also what is the aftercare like, would you have to go back abroad if something went wrong or would you be able to get it fixed on the NHS? I know it's a fair bit cheaper abroad but I wouldn't want to put my health or life at risk to save some money.

Reports like this would put me off:

A survey by BBC News was sent to all members of BOSS, the British Obesity Surgery Society.

Twenty-one surgeons answered our questions, who, it is estimated, carry out 60% of procedures in the UK.
All said that In 2007 they had treated patients who had their surgery abroad. And over half said they had seen patients who had suffered "long term damage" because of a "lack of after care".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7658410.stm

lilmissclass

I know, thats exactly why i dont want to go that route.

I live in NI but i cant find anywhere here for it. Transform said their hospital is england.

Anyone know any irish hospitals?

LilacLillie

My friend had it done 2 yrs ago in France and it all went very well.
Cost was 1/2 UK price and she had follow up appointments, with no complications.
Only trouble is, she lost so much weight (size 34 down to 8 - 10) that she looks truly awful.
She has masses of skin that didn't go back and is now saving for an op for that, which she tells me is a more serious op.
Her boobs, upper arms, tummy and thighs all look like a deflated sumo suit on her, making her more upset about her body image than she was with the weight.
She can't eat more than a mouthful of food without feeling full, but because of the excess skin (that she hadn't given a thought about before the op) she is depressed and eats ALL the wrong foods like choc, sweets, pastry etc:
After seeing how its changed her give me back the woman she was before, at least she was happier in her life, if not in her body!
Think again very seriously before having this done.
LL

lilmissclass

thanks for that. It doesnt really apply to me thank god.

I did an extreme weight loss diet and lost all my weight 2yrs ago. And only had an issue with my tummy being a bit wrinkly. Obviously Ive put the weight on, the extreme diet is one I could never do again.

I also plan on being very active.

To be honest Im am also doing it for health reasons, I suffer from a chronic illness called fibromyalgia and i figure the less bulk i carry, hopefully the pain will improve. Being active is a big part of my illness.

Ive just booked an appointment for saturday in belfast for a consultation, the procedure would be done in manchester and costs £7k

Im still shopping around,, Id love to find something cheaper in ireland.

vik6525

lilmissclass wrote: »

thanks for that. It doesnt really apply to me thank god.

I did an extreme weight loss diet and lost all my weight 2yrs ago. And only had an issue with my tummy being a bit wrinkly. Obviously Ive put the weight on, the extreme diet is one I could never do again.

I also plan on being very active.

To be honest Im am also doing it for health reasons, I suffer from a chronic illness called fibromyalgia and i figure the less bulk i carry, hopefully the pain will improve. Being active is a big part of my illness.

Ive just booked an appointment for saturday in belfast for a consultation, the procedure would be done in manchester and costs £7k

Im still shopping around,, Id love to find something cheaper in ireland.

Can I ask how much weight you need to loose?


(Im not having a dig at you, seriously, Im really not... Its just surgery is SUCH a drastic measure...)

Toothsmith

lilmissclass wrote: »

I also plan on being very active.

You realise that if you're not able to eat decent sized meals, being 'very active' could be difficult. If you have difficulty getting enough calories in, it will be hard to power yourself.

Also, the pattern of eating, of more, smaller meals can put your teeth in serious danger. Teeth recover well from 3-4 acid/sugar attacks a day. If you're needing more intakes, then the teeth can suffer.

These problems are all manageable - providing you are fully prepared beforehand and have good aftercare.

Would you get this by travelling abroad for the op?

I'm still not clear as to why you feel the NHS can't do this for you?

donteatthat

withabix wrote: »

Probably because it is as readily available as dentistry on the NHS when you fit all the criteria....

Most of that seems to be done by eastern europeans in delapidated back street clinics as well, so not the only similarity then.

That gave me a giggle :rotfl:

recovering_spendaholic

Gastric bands only restrict the volume of what you can eat. If you have problems with emotional eating then you can "eat round" a band quite easily - things like milkshakes, ice cream, chocolate and crisps all slip quite easily through a band and you can eat them all day if you want - you won't lose any weight though. The other downside is that a significant number of people have side effects such as erosion into the stomach wall, slippage, infection of the port site and other things. If you binge eat you can find yourself in serious trouble with a band - yes it makes you feel full but if you are one of the many overweight people who don't eat when they are hungry and don't stop eating when they are full you could be in real trouble with a band.

If you have a band fitted privately you get a set period of follow up but anything else, including complications, have to be paid for - you only get a 30 day guarantee, unless you pay extra for an aftercare package which includes complications and not just fills and de-fills.

If you get it done on the nhs you get aftercare and usually eating management therapy - it is the one area where I think there is a real advantage of nhs vs private.

There are loads of places doing bands now - they cost between £6000 and £8000 and that doesn't usually include much in the way of aftercare for complications. Some places do the gastric balloon - this is a more temporary thing and requires no anaesthetic (just sedation) - it is only placed in your stomach for 6 months and the side effects are less too. It costs less than a gastric band but I am not sure how much it is.

lilmissclass

Thanks for all the great advice. Im going to a consultation on saturday to get a lot of info, and see where to go from there.

Toothsmith

Good luck :T