A study by the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute found that patients who had bariatric surgery prior to getting COVID, when compared to a controlled group of obese people, Only 18% were hospitalized with COVID-19, compared to 42% of the obese patients.

We have published a number of blogs in recent months around the topic of COVID-19 and its relation to obesity, and these daunting statistics only reiterate the point. None of the patients who had had a weight loss procedure were transferred to the ICU, whereas some of the obese patients were.

Doctors have put this down to the fact that patients with a lower BMI as a result of their weight loss procedure were generally more healthy. There are so many health benefits of having weight loss surgery, including lower blood pressure, decreased risk of type II diabetes and, perhaps most significantly, a longer life expectancy!

Blog: Lockdown with a gastric sleeve: Sarah’s story

The number of weight loss procedures done on the NHS has been dramatically decreasing each year. 12,000 operations were carried out back in 2007, yet in 2018, that figure was a mere 4,500. We don’t have the statistics at the moment, but we can say with confidence that that number will be significantly lower in 2020. As a result, many people are deciding to go private for their weight loss surgery.

The graph below represents the number of people waiting over a year for hospital treatment and how numbers have been affected by COVID-19.

It’s likely that people having their procedure on the NHS will have to wait up to 2 years and have to jump through numerous hoops of eligibility before even being considered for surgery. Most private patients have their procedure within a few weeks of their enquiry. Why wait?

When you pay to go private you are paying for a high-quality procedure with a world-renowned surgeon and a comprehensive aftercare package. Once you are a patient with Healthier Weight, you are a patient for life – that’s what makes us the most trusted weight loss surgery provider in the UK.

Weight loss surgery during COVID-19: what are my options?

All of our facilities remain open during the pandemic and we are still able to offer your life-changing procedure at locations up and down the country. We will continue to adhere to government guidelines and have imposed a number of measures to ensure the safety of our patients, surgeons and nurses.

To ensure your safety, peace of mind and health we are implementing the following measures:

• Remote consultations with a surgeon can be completed at a time convenient to you
• PPE, and a clean, safe environment
• A self-isolation period is likely to be mandatory prior to any hospital visit for the foreseeable future
• Hand sanitiser and social distancing measures
• Those that book get free access to a brand new health and fitness app to limit any further weight gain caused by the knock-on effects of the pandemic

If you have been thinking of having a weight loss procedure but aren’t sure which is the right procedure for you, we have given an overview of all of the weight loss procedures that we offer here.

If you’re thinking of avoiding the growing NHS waiting list for weight loss surgery, why not give the team a call on 0800 313 4618 to discuss your options. Alternatively, use the button below to get a free quote.

Last review: 27/11/2020. All content on this page is reviewed by a multi-disciplinary team lead by Mr Rishi Singhal.