Find Weight Loss Surgery (Obesity Surgery) Clinics
If you are clinically obese and considering weight loss surgery such as a gastric band, gastric bypass or a gastric balloon, there are clinics and hospitals throughout the UK. Search by town or clinic name.
There is an increasing wide choice of hospitals and clinics available to the weight loss surgery patient. One route is the NHS route but more and more patients are seeking out private hospitals and clinics or going abroad for treatment.
The hospital and clinic you go to could be determined by the type of procedure you require. There are different types of procedures available that combat weight loss by modification of the stomach and smaller intestine and/or by reducing nutrient intake and/or absorption. Some clinics and hospitals may only offer certain types of surgery. You should aim for finding a hospital or clinic that is experienced in offering the type of surgery that you require.
Choosing your hospital or clinic is an important choice and one, which is often determined by the choice of the surgeon based at the hospital or clinic. Getting an experience surgeon who is knowledgeable and well practiced in the weight loss surgery procedure you require is of utmost importance. Firstly you must do as much research as you can about the procedure you require and decide if you will have the treatment on the NHS or privately.
Cost is usually an important factor, so do research the costs in as much detail as you can. There are databases available of surgeons, hospitals and clinics, these searches are very useful and can save time by having all the information for you in one place. There are 100's of consultants and specialists who perform some type of weight loss surgery in the UK. This may sound a large number but once you have particular procedure in mind and look locally under your own postcode the choice will become more limited.
Some private hospitals and clinics will have many across the country belonging to the same group or organization. You should expect the same level of care and cost at each location. Some clinics and hospitals, which are part of a group, are more common in the south of the UK, however most are evenly spread in major centres across the country. Once you have found a hospital or clinic you are interested in you can send off for information, usually their own literature or brochure. As a first port of call the hospital’s website can be a good source of information. If you are pleased with your choice of hospital or clinic from the information you have gathered, the next stage would be to book a consultation. This is often free as hospitals and clinics are usually happy to provide information to prospective patients. At this stage it is well worth compiling a list of questions, which will address queries you may have about the procedure, the surgeon and the hospital or clinic. Some sample questions might be:
How experienced is the surgeon in this particular procedure?
What are the post-operative infection rates?
What does the aftercare involve?
What time period would the aftercare cover?
What is the typical recovery time after the procedure?
How much time will you be allowed in hospital after the procedure?
Will the anesthetist perform pre operative evaluation?
What tests/assessments will be carried out pre-surgery?
This is just an idea of a few basic questions you could ask, there are many more. Do not be afraid to ask many questions, the surgeon should be used to providing information and reassurance. If, some time after the consultation you have more questions, do not hesitate to get back in contact with your surgeon. It is very common that questions lead to further questions, there is a lot so know about your weight loss surgery so do ask.
