Our Physician-led Approach

In building the care model for Healthier Weight, we made a conscious decision to make it a physician rather than a surgeon led service. This means that all consultations are undertaken or overseen by Dr David Ashton, following a carefully designed process. There are several reasons for this. 

• Surgeons, like the rest of us, have their preferences and prejudices and tend to recommend the procedure they would like to perform, not necessarily the procedure which best meets the patients’ needs. A surgeon who does only gastric bands will obviously suggest a band. A surgeon may recommend a bypass, simply because it is the procedure he/she most enjoys. At Healthier Weight we believe every patient should have the procedure that is best for them, not which happens to be available or which the surgeon prefers to perform. This is why every patient is individually assessed by a highly experienced physician who can take into account factors such as age, weight history, current medical problems (e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnoea etc), surgical history and medication. Only after this comprehensive assessment can a recommendation for a surgical treatment be safely made

• Surgeons – in general – know very little about obesity, especially the complex genetic and behavioural factors involved. They have no training in this area of medicine. In our programme, the surgeon carries out a specific technical procedure then hands the patient back to an aftercare team with the experience and expertise to manage a wide range of behavioural and nutritional factors essential to long-term success. In other words, the surgeon does the surgery, nothing else

• Long-term aftercare often requires close management of obesity-related conditions eg. hypertension, raised cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, which a physician is better equipped to deal with than a surgeon

• Remember that obesity is not, in fact, a surgical problem: it is primarily a behavioural problem. What dictates an individual’s body weight is how much they eat, what kinds of food they eat and their physical activity patterns. Surgical weight loss procedures simply provide a means to limit food (calorie) intake.  They do not directly influence physical activity patterns, they cannot prevent consumption of calorie-rich foods and they have no effect on other lifestyle factors which may influence body weight. In other words, to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, surgery alone is not enough

Exemplary safety record 

Our published results confirm that we have a remarkable safety record. For example, in the case of gastric banding our total surgical experience amounts to some 15,000 procedures. There have been no deaths and no serious incidents. This contradicts some of the commentators in the popular media who claim that weight loss surgery is dangerous. In fact, in experienced hands, it is a remarkably safe weight-loss option.  More importantly, it is the only effective option for chronic obesity.

Comprehensive Aftercare Programme 

All the available evidence shows that long-term success with any surgical weight loss procedure, requires expert long-term follow-up. At Healthier Weight we place the same level of emphasis on aftercare as we do on the surgery itself. This is because we know that surgery is only the first step in a process of change that will last for life. The key elements of our aftercare programme are:

• An “Open Door” policy with regard to clinic appointments

• A 24-hour a day Helpline (it really is a 24-hour service!)

• Behavioural and nutritional support

• Mobile text-messaging

• Specially trained Bariatric Nurse Specialists

• A range of nutritious foods to help in your weight maintenance

• Our own Vitamins and Minerals which provide comprehensive micronutrient support

Weight Loss for Health for Life

Many providers are focussed only on the short-term benefits of weight loss. This is clearly too narrow a perspective, when most procedures are designed to last for decades. At Healthier Weight our recommendations are based on long-term weight loss, for health for life.   

We are NOT Cosmetic Surgery Providers 

Many other surgical weight loss providers also offer a full range of cosmetic surgery procedures and are not – strictly speaking - specialists in weight loss surgery.  At Healthier Weight our focus is solely directed towards weight loss surgery and achieving the best health-related outcomes for our patients.

Our Nutritional Products 

To provide optimal nutritional support for patients undergoing weight loss surgery, we have formulated a unique range of nutritional products – Weight to Go^®. The range includes a variety of meals, soups, high-protein shakes and energy bars. All products are high in protein, but low in fat and sugar and provide the perfect solution for both pre- and post-operative nutrition. Find out more at www.weighttogo.com

Vitaweight™ - Vitamins and minerals

Adequate micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) supplementation is essential for all patients undergoing weight loss surgery. It is especially important following procedures such as gastric bypass and duodenal switch, where malabsorption of key nutrients such as calcium, iron and B-vitamins can lead to serious health problems if not corrected. Vitaweight is our own unique formulation of micronutrients and is specifically designed for obesity surgery patients. Find out more

Innovation, teaching and research 

At Healthier Weight we believe it isn’t enough just to carry on doing what we have always done. The entire field of weight loss surgery is changing at a remarkable pace and we believe that being at the forefront of these innovations is critical if we are to bring the best treatment options to our patients. Our record in this regard begins in September 1993 when our Surgical Director, Professor Franco Favretti performed the first laparoscopic (keyhole) implantation of a gastric band. Since then we have a record of being first – for example:

• First to perform a gastric band through the umbilicus (belly button)

• First to implant a telemetric adjustable band (easyband)

• First to offer a range of nutritional products to compliment our surgical programme

• First to offer vitamin and mineral supplements specifically formulated for weight loss surgery patients

• First to use intra-peritoneal analgesia during gastric band implantation

In addition, we have developed a unique one-day teaching programme on the management of the gastric band for the National Health Service and a variety of private healthcare providers. 

The full spectrum of surgical procedures

Some providers offer only a limited range of surgical interventions, either because they lack the surgical expertise or because of individual surgeon’s preferences (or prejudices!).  

At Healthier Weight we recognise that the specific needs of each individual will vary greatly depending upon their current weight, their weight history, current medication and the presence of important co-morbidities such as type II diabetes, hypertension and depression. Clearly what will be suitable for a 55-year old with a history of heart problems and type 2 diabetes, would not be appropriate for a 16-year old with no specific health problems. At Healthier Weight we offer the entire spectrum of surgical treatments, so that we can match your own specific needs and preferences with the most suitable procedure.   

We publish our results

At Healthier Weight we believe that others should be allowed to scrutinize our results and we make every effort to publish our results in peer-reviewed journals. This not only gives us a chance to show what we are doing but – more importantly – to receive informed and constructive criticism from other experts in the field. Clinical medicine, including surgery, only progresses because of this constant process of publication and review.