Weight Loss Surgery

Pennylane

Article in Daily Express today stating that £75 MILLION was spent on NHS weight loss ops last year!

The private sector has also reported a 400% increase in enquiries about surgery since the Fern Britton saga.;)

crispeater

homealone, how did the diet consultation thingy go??

curly_2

Hi, I've read through some of the replies, some have been useful some not !!

Can I suggest anyone that is interested in any form of weight loss surgery check out BOSPA - The British Obesity Surgery Patient Association www.bospa.org.

I had a gastric bypass done in May 2008 and so far have lost 3.5 stone. I went on the NHS waiting list in Dec 07, after having been told 4 years previous that the local PCT would never pay for this op, fortunately I have a very supportive and persistant GP !!

I had tried for some many years to lose weight via the normal slimming clubs and also have tried all the medication available on the NHS but nothing worked. As I was diabetic I had been referred to an Endricrinologist who, after two visits asked if I would like to be referred for weight loss surgery - I nearly kissed the man !!!

I had spent many weeks and months looking at all I could possibly find on the interent about the Gastric Bypass, and I won't deny that some of it was very scary, so by the time I actually went for my op I knew all I had to know (my partner joked that I could probably perform the operation myself !!).

Almost 4 months on I am doing well, my follow-up team at the hospital are very pleased with me and use me to talk to others waiting for the op.

I had the gastric bypass done key hole and have only 7 small scars, I won't deny it was painful but then any op is going to be, but by the time I left the hospital I was painfree. I have followed all the advise given to me by the hospital and am tolerating food very well. I do have the odd hiccup but that's how you learn what agrees with you or not and I do everything in moderation.

I can honestly say for me it is the best thing I have ever had done, but that is my experience and every one is different.

Should also say that my sugar level is normal and as is my blood pressure so no longer need any medication.

If anyone has any question please ask I'm more than happy to share my experiences.

Bigloser_2

Hiya
I've heard that The Birkdale Clinic (private hospital based in Rotherham, Liverpool and London) are now offering bands and balloons. They also offer band adjustments even if you previously had surgery elsewhere. The person to speak to is Gavin Royle on 0500 442222. He's a mine of information and is more than happy to discuss all the options, including finance and post-weight loss surgery. Hope this helps.
Bigloser xx

Beki

Both me and my mum had gastric bands fitted on 5th september LAST year.

We went over to belgium, not only because of the cost, but because the surgeon we used is one of the most experienced in the world and BUPA actually use him to train their bariatric surgeons

The cost was £2200 each, plus hotel stay, eurostar etc. I think it worked out at about £2600 each after taxi fares, hotel, travel etc.By February (5 months later) i had lost 4st 2lb. I then had a little problem where i had the band slightly overfilled and some food got stuck. I lost 1st 3lb in 10 days and was feeling quite poorly (put well over a stone back on now, but i think a lot of it was fluid loss anyway).

But as soon as i had some of the fluid taken out i was absolutely fine again

Since then i haven't had another fill as i've been enjoying my food too much i'm sad to say!!! However, i know that the tool is there should i feel the need to use it Plus the cost is a factor at £70 a fill, plus the £25 in petrol it costs me to get there and back.

I'm certainly nowhere near happy with my weight/shape/size... BUT i could live like this fairly comfortably if i had to stay like this for the rest of my life. When i was 4st heavier i couldn't have!

I started at 20st 2lb and i now weigh 16st 4lb. Gone from a size 26 to a size 18 (tight) or a 20 (loose), so very very happy still!

My mum has gone from 15st 7lb to 12st. A size 20/22 to a 14/16 and she looks like a different woman! She's going on holiday on sunday and she says it'll be the first time in her life when she knows for a FACT that she won't have to worry about being the biggest person on the beach

Anyway, if anyone wants to know anything in more detail, feel free to PM me!

Beki

lol no. It was Dr Christiaan De Bruyne

pepsicola_2

i thought you were warned that your health problems like the lupus could be worsened by having this surgery?

Beki

Penny-Pincher!! wrote: »

Good:D ....glad it went well.

I had WLS 4 years ago and unfortunately kicked off ALOT of health problems that are now terminal.

Omigawd! I'm so sorry to hear that - you must be very angry that you weren't warned of the effects on your lupus (((hugs)))

Penny-Pincher!! wrote: »

TBH though, I was so obese that I would probably be dead now if I hadnt of had it done anyway. I am now a healthy 21.5 BMI.

PP
xx

I'm glad it has had fantastic benefits for you! I bet you feel amazing with such a healthy BMI

I know i'll get there in the end - just need to get my head back into the right space lol

Ted_Hutchinson

the other side of the bariatric surgery story Part one

Part 2 of The other side of the story

JFS Special: The latest research on actual deaths seen after surgery for weight loss

Careful study of this paper shows 9% of patients who had undergone gastric bypass and 25% of those who had undergone gastric banding regained most, if not all, of the weight they had lost, and that diabetes had recurred in 50% of patients in whom this condition initially resolved.

Meta-Analysis: Surgical Treatment of ObesityThis is showing that 10-20% of people having bariatric surgery have medical or surgical complications. Although most of these are resolved they do cause an extra burden on health costs and longer hospital stays. Many of these patients require further plastic/cosmetic surgery to deal with spare tissue and this again provides more wound complications 25% and plastic surgery problems 5-15%.

homealone_2

crispeater wrote: »

homealone, how did the diet consultation thingy go??

hello, sorry for delay in replying but i have had a cuople of holidays since last post. it felt funny seeing this beached whale in the mirror hoping i would be half the size next year and be able to do more with confidence if smaller. i feel stared at alot as it is as i have a severe back problem which means i am either using crutches on a walk outside but in a wheelchair if a large distance needs to be covered yet if in hotel dining room i can move about slowly without any help so i do feel at times people think i am putting on my disability when it suits me. back to question when i saw consultant i was still weary of him saying i was not large enough for the surgery as i was half the size of the others in my group but he said no such thing he agreed that a bypass would be better for me than a band and said i should be able to loose most of my extra weight in about a year. he said though that due to me having mild asthma when in winter he wanted my lungs checked out and as i have been on anti-depressants for 8 years he would also like me to see a psychiatrist before going through the operation but he feels there should not be any problems but needed to cover his back. this should be done quite quickly but i have not received any appointments yet. he applied for the funding from my loacal council while i was there and arrange an appointment for early november i asked would i be given a date at that stage and he said yes. obviously once i get date i will still need to do the one month liver shrinking diet so am hoping for late this year or early next. in the mean time i have now become a size 24 but have only bought a couple of pieces this time and not replaced entire wardrobe in the next size up. i really need to do a sort through and get rid of stuff that will probably not get a look in once i have lost weight and also put on ebay all the excessive items i have bought along the way which still have tags on and not seen light of day. will keep you all posted when i have anymore news