Misconceptions about the gastric sleeve, band, bypass and balloon often prevent people from having these procedures, resulting in them missing out on the health and quality of life benefits that weight loss brings.
With the right surgeon, aftercare and support these procedures
deliver fantastic outcomes, and they remain the only effective long term form of treatment for obesity.
So with that said, let’s start myth busting!
"Getting weight loss surgery is cheating. It's the easy way to lose weight"
Nonsense. Our view is quite the opposite. It has been proven scientifically that our genes predispose certain people to obesity. We also need to factor in metabolic rate, how different people generate energy in their bodies and then there are environmental factors. It means that some people are destined to struggle to manage their weight. We also know that weight loss surgery such as the gastric band, bypass, sleeve or esg is the only effective long term form of treatment.
Procedures like the gastric sleeve have been shown in numerous studies to deliver 60-70% excess weight loss in the first year after surgery. These procedures work for all types of people. Instead of feeling ashamed about weight loss surgery, flip it around and feel proud you are taking responsibility for your own health and quality of life. That’s how we view it and the positivity we see in our online patient support group underlines this. A group of people who are proud of what they have done and, often, wishing they had done it sooner
“Wouldn’t it be better to have liposuction instead. That way it’s all sucked out in one go?"
Although this sounds tempting, liposuction is no solution for people who need to lose weight. It is a body contouring procedure that involves the removal of fat cells. Those fat cells are never replaced which means that when those people put on weight it is stored in the remaining cells only. This can lead to a very uneven and at times disfiguring distribution
of weight.
For this reason, responsible cosmetic surgeons do not do weight loss procedures for those with a BMI above 30. The better approach is to treat the problem, which is obesity, and this is done through a gastric band, sleeve or bypass procedure. Once you are a healthy weight you could also consider cosmetic surgery. When you are a healthy weight you can also be more confident of a good cosmetic outcome from surgery.
“It’s impossible or dangerous to get pregnant after weight loss surgery?"
On the contrary, bariatric surgery helps with fertility, both for men and for women. Most people with a BMI above 35 will be denied IVF so weight loss surgery can be a way to get access to these services. Often people who have been unable to conceive naturally will do so after weight loss surgery. Often the increase in fertility is so rapid we advise all patients to think carefully about contraception in the period after surgery to avoid any surprises.
We advise that patients wait at least a year after their surgery before trying for a baby. This is to allow time for your nutritional health to stabilise. This is especially important after bypass surgery.
"It's too expensive, I will never be able to afford weight loss surgery?"
Weight loss surgery does come with a cost. But so does your life, it’s important to think about what you’re getting in return for the price you’re paying. Not only this but the cost of weight loss surgery is not just for the surgery.
At Healthier Weight we believe in giving patients everything they need to succeed. This means along with having your surgery done by world-renowned surgeons, you will also receive lifelong support and an aftercare package that is better than any other provider and access to our HW app.
We also know that not all patients can afford to pay for the surgery in one lump sum. We have finance options available to help you spread the cost.
"Weight loss surgery is too dangerous especially with a high BMI?"
For the huge majority of patients, the risks presented by bariatric surgery are very low, especially when you consider your health risks of having such a high BMI.
In fact, they are comparable to having your gallbladder removed. In almost all cases we can confidently say that the risk of not having surgery is greater than not. “If you stay morbidly obese,” Mr Singhal says, “you are much more likely to die from heart disease, diabetes, stroke and even some types of cancer.”
As for recovery: It’s typically a very brief process. After band surgery, nearly all patients go home the same day. For sleeve and bypass, we like people to stay in hospital for 2 night before. We advise most people to leave a week to make a recovery but modern keyhole surgical techniques are so good that patients are often surprised by how quickly they can return to normal day to day life.