FAQs

Very simply, caloric intake (through food and drink) is greater than energy usage (through physical activity). To maintain weight, the body needs a fixed amount of food energy per day. This amount can be estimated accurately for any given age, weight, gender and body make-up. If the body gets more than this amount, it increases its fat stores.

Obese people have more risk for:

• Type II diabetes mellitus

• Heart disease

• High blood pressure

• Hyperlipidemia

• Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)

• Asthma

• Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)

• Gallstones (Cholelithiasis)

• Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)

• Stress urinary incontinence

• Problems with fertility and pregnancy

• Joint problems (e.g., arthritis)

• Psychological problems such as depression

• Certain types of cancer (breast, uterine, prostate, colon)

These can be divided into non-surgical treatments and that requiring an operation (surgical).

Non-Surgical:

• Diets: Unfortunately, these do not provide effective long-lasting weight loss. At best, they will achieve 10% weight loss which will disappear on stopping them.

• Medicines: These too do not provide long-lasting sustained weight loss, averaging only 5-10% weight loss whilst the medicine is being taken. They have many side-effects including diarrhoea, headaches, high blood pressure, depression and may not be suitable for everyone. 

Surgical:

Weight-loss or Bariatric surgery is currently the most efficacious treatment for morbid obesity and has arguably the best long term outcomes.

You will achieve on average between 50-70% excess weight-loss (depending on the operation you undergo) but more importantly the weight loss will be permanent and there will be marked improvements in your health. In particular, most if not all the health risks associated with obesity will be reversed or markedly improved. The consequence of this is that your life expectancy will return to what it is if you were not suffering from obesity.

The surgical treatment for obesity these days is minimally invasive using laparoscopic technique. This is less damaging to the patient as the incisions used are keyhole sized and this in turn results in faster recovery.

The following are the most commonly performed operations. Each of these has advantages and disadvantages, making each suited to a particular kind of patient.

Choosing between these options can be difficult. Also, not all surgeons offer all of the newer treatments for obesity.

Option 1. Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band / Lap band surgery

The operation involves placing an inflatable silicon band around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small pouch with a narrow passage, or ‘channel’ leading into the larger remainder of the stomach. The band connects to an access port by a thin tube and the port is placed under the skin. A fine needle is used to inject fluid through the skin into the port which fills the gastric band and adjusts its size. This has two effects: (1) the band causes restriction and thus limits the amount of food that can enter your stomach and (2) it reduces the appetite of patients. Over time the decreased food intake makes you loose weight. On average, patients tend to lose 50% of their excess body weight with the band.

Option 2. Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass / gastric bypass surgery

This operation involves bypassing some of the stomach and part of the small intestines. The stomach is divided to leave a smaller pouch and then a section of the small intestine is attached to the small stomach pouch that has been created. The procedure works in a number of different ways: (1) the smaller stomach pouch will make you feel full earlier; (2) it will also reduce your appetite; (3) by bypassing a portion of your intestine, you will absorb fewer calories that are taken by mouth. On average, patients tend to lose 60-70% of their excess body weight with this procedure.

Option 3. Laparoscopic gastric sleeve / sleeve gastrectomy

This is a relatively new approach. It involves reducing the size of the stomach leaving a long narrow stomach tube of approx. 100ml inside. The segment of stomach that is cut is removed out of your body. The procedure also works by making you feel full earlier after meals as well as reduce your appetite and thus allows you to consume fewer calories. On average, patients tend to lose 50-60% of their excess body weight with this operation.

Gastric band: Patients usually go home the same day or next day

Gastric bypass: Patients usually stay 2 nights in hospital

Sleeve gastrecomy: Patients usually stay 2 nights in hospital.

You will generally need to take 1-3 weeks off work depending upon the operation.

Gastric band: The complications include the band slipping or moving into the stomach, an increase in the size of the stomach or gullet (oesophagus), rupture of the ring or infection of the port. This may result in the band or port needing to be removed, repositioned or replaced. Overall, there is a 5-10% risk of adverse effects (as listed above) and a 1 in 2,000 (0.05%) risk of death caused by having this operation. Up to one in 10 patients will need further surgery for these or other complications.