Weight loss surgery
Weight loss surgery and adapting to life after surgery is a challenging process, requiring the input of many different medical professionals working together as a team.
This is known as a multidisciplinary team (MDT) and it may consist of:
Most MDTs operate out of specialist bariatric surgery units, which are typically based in larger hospitals.
Before your weight loss surgery can take place, you shouldbe referred to your nearest specialist unit for an assessment, to see if you're a suitable candidate for surgery.
Your assessment may consist of three main phases:
You should be given information on the reason for these tests, how they'll be carried out and the meaning of any results.
The purpose of the physical assessment is to check whether you have any health problems or other factorsthat could complicate your surgery.
You may receive the following tests:
The psychological assessment determines whether:
The process of assessment can differ between units, but it's likely you'll be asked questions about:
Having a mental health condition such as depression or an eating disorder doesn't automatically mean you're not suitable for surgery. However, surgery may bedelayed untilit's under control.
The nutritional assessment has two main purposes.
The first is for the dietitian to obtain a detailed history of your current diet and associated patterns of eating and how these have contributed to your obesity.
The second is to ensure you fully understand the dietary commitments you will need to make after surgery, which may include:
Your dietitian may also recommend a calorie-controlled diet for several weeks or months before surgery. This is because losing even a modest amount of weight before surgery is known to reduce the risks of complications, especially if you're going to have keyhole surgery.
Weight loss surgery, also called bariatric surgery, is used to treat people who are dangerously obese.
Weight loss surgery is only recommended for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more, or a BMI of 35-40 and a serious health condition that could be improved if you lose weight, such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.
Weight loss surgery and adapting to life after surgery is a challenging process, requiring the input of many different medical professionals working together as a team.
The three most widely used types of weight loss surgery are gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy, both based on restriction, and gastric bypass, which uses a combination of restriction and malabsorption.
After weight loss surgery, you'll need a few days to recover. It may also be several weeks or months before you can resume normal activities.
It's very important to stick to your recommended diet plan after surgery
As long as you stick to the diet and exercise recommendations, all types of weight loss surgery can achieve good, and often impressive, results.
The rapid weight loss associated with weight loss surgery can cause a number of side effects and has a number of risks.