Treatment pathway
What should I expect on my journey to weight loss surgery?
Anybody is welcome to attend our free consultation run by our nurse and dietitian. Both have specialist training with expertise in obesity and are sensitive to the specific needs of patients who are overweight. Here you will spend about an hour discussing the pros and cons of weight loss surgery in your individual case. We ask a series of questions to assess both surgical and alternative treatment options and help you to fully understand the risks, benefits and challenges of successful weight loss for the long-term.
Alternatively, for the standard consultation fee, you can book in directly for an appointment with one of our surgeons. To meet directly with a surgeon it is preferable, but not absolutely necessary, to obtain a referral from your GP.
We feel that it is important for your GP to be involved at this point, if they haven't been already. Your GP needs to be aware that you are considering surgery as they will be a source of great support to you once it's done, and they will continue to monitor your improving health as the weight comes off. So when the appointment has been made for you to meet with one of our surgeons you should contact your GP to arrange a referral letter to be sent.
Our surgeons will write back to your GP after the consultation to keep them up to date with your situation.
During your first appointment the operation will be explained carefully and any questions that you might have will be answered. At the end of this consultation you should have a clear idea of the different weight loss surgical procedures available, which one is best for you and why, what the procedure involves, and what to expect afterwards. If you are still keen to go ahead with surgery, a provisional operation date will be selected at a time that is convenient for you.
The next stage of the process is to have a routine pre-operative discussion with our psychologist. This will be a separate appointment made for another day, and it takes about an hour.
Approximately two weeks before your operation date you will need to see the anaesthetist for the pre-operative assessment and any extra tests that may be required.
You will also need to return to the clinic to see our dietitian again to plan the special pre-operative diet. This is a very low calorie diet leading up to the day of surgery. This is important to help you get the maximum benefit from your surgery.
At this stage, it is common to see the surgeon again to run through the procedure once more and answer any further questions. We believe it is absolutely vital that you have a full understanding of the operation and what it involves. Often the surgical consent form is completed at this visit.
On the day of surgery you will be admitted to the hospital about 2 hours before the due time of the operation, and settled in to the ward by one of our specialist bariatric nurses.
Both the surgeon and the anaesthetist will drop by to say hello and check that you're ready.
You will be taken to the operating department where our team will help you feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible. When you wake up the operation will be all over. You will be in the recovery area for a little while, before being taken back to the ward. Depending on which procedure you've had, within a few hours you'll be wide awake and able to sit up, talk, and have a drink.
The aftercare depends on which procedure you have had but in every case you will receive all the help, advice and support that you need. This is all covered by the fee for the operation which includes all aftercare for 12 months, including any visits with the nurses, dietitian, psychologist, surgeons or radiologists that may be required.
After the 12 month follow up period is over, we strongly encourage you to continue to see our team at least once or twice per year and an affordable package to cover this will be worked out for you.
Our whole aim is to help your physical, social and emotional well-being so that you feel better, are more confident, more relaxed, and ultimately have a longer, happier and healthier life.