Bariatric (Weight Loss) Surgery

Transcription

1 Bariatric (Weight Loss) Surgery Information for Patients 1

2 Contents What is Bariatric Surgery? Page 3 Team Members Page 3 Bariatric Procedures Page 4 The Bariatric Assessment Pathway Page 6 General Information Page 7 Contact Details Page 7 2

3 What is Bariatric Surgery? Bariatric or Weight Loss Surgery refers to operations that are carried out to help people reduce their weight. These operations work by helping to reduce your appetite and restrict the amount that you can eat. This, coupled with healthy eating and making lifestyle changes, should improve your health and quality of life. Am I suitable for Bariatric Surgery? Bariatric Surgery is major surgery that involves risks and sometimes complications. The risks and complications vary according to the type of bariatric procedure that you decide to have and often depend on your age, excess weight and existing health conditions. Who are the Bariatric Team? We are a Multidisciplinary Team, which means we come from a range of different professions. Our team members include: Professor Duff Bruce Mr Shay Nanthakumaran Consultant General & Upper GI Surgeon Consultant General & Upper GI Surgeon Dr Kevin Deans Consultant Clinical Biochemist and Team Lead Dr Fiona Campbell Ms Julia Clark Ms Karen Smith Mrs Helen Rowbottom Clinical Psychologist Specialist Dietitian Specialist Nurse Bariatric Secretary 3

4 Bariatric Procedures The main bariatric procedures that are carried out in ARI are the Gastric Bypass and the Sleeve Gastrectomy. Both of these procedures are carried out by keyhole surgery. Gastric Bypass The Gastric Bypass works by making your stomach smaller. A small pouch (about the size of an egg) is created. Part of your intestines are bypassed which means that you will absorb fewer calories. The procedure can help you lose up to 30% of your starting weight, but in order to maintain this weight loss will be dependent on your diet and the amount of exercise that you do. 4

5 Sleeve Gastrectomy The Sleeve Gastrectomy also works by making your stomach smaller. A large part of your stomach is removed, leaving a column shaped stomach (about the size of a banana). Your digestive system remains unchanged. The procedure can help you lose up to 25% of your starting weight, but as with the Gastric Bypass in order to maintain this weight loss will be dependent on your diet and the amount of exercise that you do. Differences in surgical procedure Both procedures reduce the size of your stomach, however the Gastric Bypass also reduces the length of intestine that food travels down. After both procedures you will need to be on lifelong supplementation to ensure you get enough vitamins and minerals and do not suffer from nutritional deficiencies. You will also need annual blood tests. 5

6 Bariatric Assessment Pathway If you are accepted onto the bariatric pathway you will undergo the following assessments before being considered suitable for surgery and added to the surgical waiting list. Surgery is not guaranteed at any stage of this process. Pre-Surgical Education Programme The purpose of this programme is to provide pre-surgical education and support to help you make the lifestyle and behavioural changes required for successful weight loss/maintenance following surgery. This programme is mandatory. It is delivered over 3 months in 6 sessions that last approximately 1.5 hours. These sessions are held in the Adult Weight Management Service, which is based on the 1 st floor, South Tower, ARI. Surgeon/Psychology Appointments During the Pre-Surgical Education Programme you will receive separate 1 to 1 appointments with both the Surgeon and the Psychologist to further assess your suitability for surgery. Pre-Op Assessment Once you have completed the Pre Education Programme and been assessed by the Surgeon and Psychologist you will be sent an appointment for the Pre Assessment Clinic. This is to assess your fitness for surgery. Surgical Waiting List If surgery is deemed appropriate you will be added to the waiting list for a surgical date. This date may be changed at any time. Drop in Clinic These sessions are available to patients and their partners on a Tuesday afternoon once the Education Sessions are finished, if patients require any further information. No appointment is necessary. The length of time from entering the Pathway to Surgery is variable, but on average it is 6 to 9 months. 6

7 General Information Bariatric Surgery is a life changing event and should not be entered into lightly or seen as a quick fix. It aims to help you reduce your weight and improve your general health which should lead to greater life expectancy. For your surgery to be a success, you will need to make significant lifestyle and behavioural changes to maintain your weight loss. This should start before surgery and we expect you to lose 5-10% of your bodyweight during the education sessions. If you are a smoker, you will also have to stop. We can arrange for you to be seen by Smoking Cessation to get help with this. Failure to make these changes can result in you not proceeding to surgery. Useful Websites We encourage you to find out all you can about bariatric surgery so that you are absolutely sure that you have made the right choice. Below are a couple of sites that you might find helpful: British Obesity Surgery Patients Association Weight Loss Information and Suport Please note that NHS Grampian is not responsible or liable for the quality of the information, resources or maintenance of external websites or helplines. Any advice on external websites or helplines is not intended to replace a consultation with an appropriately qualified medical practitioner Contact Details Helen Rowbottom (Secretary to Bariatric Service) Tues-Thurs 8.15am to 4pm Friday 8am to midday helenrowbottom@nhs.net 7