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Bariatric (Weight Loss) Surgery

In order to be healthy, we must all try and balance the amount of calories we consume with the amount of calories that our body burns up. Hence, weight gain, an ultimately obesity is caused by taking in more calories than we currently use; (as well as being due to certain medical conditions).

In order to establish whether a person is of a healthy weight, or under or over weight, a Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation is used; which basically compares their height with their weight to make sure that their body mass is of a reasonable level. A person is categorised as obese if they have a BMI over 30, those with a BMI over 40 are classed as morbidly obese, and those over 50 as super obese. Generally those classed as morbidly obese and above are suitable for bariatric or weight loss surgery.

There are two main types of bariatric surgery:

• Restrictive – this is where the size of the stomach is restricted either using staples or a band so that only small meals can be eaten and the person feels 'full' more quickly. Forms of restrictive surgery generally practiced in the UK include gastric banding and vertical gastric banding.

• Malabsorptive (Restrictive) – this is where the stomach size is restricted by bypassing part of the digestive system (intestines) so that food intake is restricted and not all calories are absorbed by the body. Forms of malabsorptive (restrictive) surgery include gastric bypass and duodenal switch. Bariatric surgeries are performed under a general anaesthetic, and can either be performed as an 'open' surgery requiring a large incision across the abdomen, or more commonly these days they are done via keyhole, or laparoscopic methods which only need five or six small incisions at various places on the chest and abdomen, through which cameras and surgical instruments are fed. The time taken to carry out the various weight loss surgeries depends on the extent of work required by the surgeon, and whether the procedure is carried out openly or laparoscopically and can range from 30 minutes to seven hours.

All weight loss surgeries are considered to be major operations which will require a considerable downtime for recovery post-surgery. Those surgeries performed laparoscopically should heal quicker than open surgeries, due to the smaller nature of the incisions. As well as recovering externally from the surgical incisions, you will generally only be able to eat liquidised food for a period of a few weeks whilst your stomach and ‘insides’ also heal and readjust. Recovery can take anywhere from 1–8 weeks.

Prices for private bariatric surgery can vary according to the type of operation and can range from £5,000 - £9,500 for a gastric band procedure to £8,000 - £15,000 for a gastric bypass procedure, depending on the complexity of surgery required for your size. Intragastric balloon procedures, which include fees for insertion and removal, range from £4,000-£8,000.

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