The two most common operations are adjustable gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy. With both procedures, the size of the area in stomach where food collects is reduced. The adjustable gastric band is less invasive than sleeve gastrectomy although both are done laparoscopically. The band is adjustable; the sleeve is not, also the band is reversible; the sleeve gastrectomy is not.
Details of all available procedures are discussed in the What we do section.
Candidates normally fall into the clinical classification of “obese”. That typically translates to a body mass index of 40 or over. You should have previously attempted to lose weight through traditional methods, including dieting, nutritional counselling and commercial or NHS run weight-loss programs. Candidates may have a body mass index of 35 or over if they have medical problems that are associated with obesity, such as hypertension and diabetes.
People with an inflammatory disease, severe heart or lung disease, oesophageal, stomach or intestinal problems, cirrhosis or who are pregnant are not candidates.
Weight-loss surgery alters the body’s digestive process by limiting the amount of food the stomach can hold and/or by limiting the absorption of nutrients. The most common procedures are restrictive, malabsorptive or a combination of both procedures. Restrictive procedures reduce the amount of food the stomach can hold, but don’t interfere with the body’s normal digestion of food and nutrients. Malabsorptive procedures bypass most of the small intestine so that fewer calories and nutrients are absorbed. Combined procedures restrict food intake as well as the amount of calories and nutrients the body absorbs.