Bariatric surgery for weight loss

[Redlight]

Superglue and a straw. 1 month!!!

 

 

[TALUS]

There is a reason medical aids wont pay for it (remember that a fat pt is more expensive to them in the long run - so they should push for it) and that is that MAJOR complications can occur. I have personally watched a young woman die after a reversal operation. Go to a very competent surgeon (dont just look for the cheapest), check that his medical insurance covers him (often it doesnt) and weigh up the possibility/ likelyhood of dying from the procedure against the complication of being very obese. It works well when it works and if it bombs all complications up to and including death is possible.

[King_Crispy]

Have your mind sorted before the matter.

Once you KNOW you are eating right and not binging, I would try a diet. This operation is NOT reversible, look at the stats. Over 80% of the people who try the reversal are dead within 3 months.

My wife works with a lady who had it done. Medical Aid paid for most if it, as it was cheaper than a double knee and hip replacement op in the near future.

She says it has been a life changing op, and she can even have sex again. She can now also walk up stairs.

She has to follow quite a strict diet now, and eats more frequently now than she did when she was obese. The body passes stuff through much quicker now, so the nutritional uptake is not as high.

[RockCoach]

A couple of weeks ago I saw a doccie on DSTV. Not your usual type of Dr Fat Operation show. It was research by doctors in the UK although some of the doctors and scientists involved were South African.

 

What they were investigating was how through MRI scan the brains of the obese reacted differently to normal weight people after eating (or even seeing images of different types of food). How the hormones that control appetite and the feeling of food saturation are abnormal in fat people. ie don't switch on or off after eating. And most importantly how after bariatric surgery all these things seem to be reset back to normal. Also interesting was their observation that a very small percentage of twins are opposite in terms of weight - and that a traumatic event can cause the imbalance.

 

A few of you say that the obese need to get their heads right but it seems diet and exercise on their own cannot control weight in some people in the long term. In a few years medical science will probably have sythecised and tested hormonal treatment that will get these people's heads sorted out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TALUS]

Obesity is NOT ""all in the mind". It is complicated and sometimes radical measures are needed- but the more radical the procedure, the higher the risks

[Red Zone]

My old boss had it done, he lost a lot of weight, then some complications set it and he had to reverse the procedure. Ended up putting about double the weight back on, his stomach is now worse than ever, got reflux and all sorts of issues. Did not end well for him.

 

Do you homework, get a specialist opinion, two or three if possible and don't put a whole lot of faith in the Hub Doctors, most of these guys cant grease a BB

[DIPSLICK]

most of these guys cant grease a

A BB MUST BE GREASED

[seven]

Look at the following link:

http://www.sasomonline.co.za

 

There are "centres of excellence" for bariatric medicine in SA. They have support groups etc., free info., list of surgeons/centres that are accredited and even the numbers of surgeries that have been done by each.

 

The site will give you all the info you need. Prof Tessa van der Merwe (Unitas Hospital and Tuks Med School) is the current director.

 

They can (and do) arrange payment with Med Aids for patients above a certain BMI (depending on complications). There is usually some percentage that the member will need to contribute (again, depending on current complications (diabetes, renal complications, etc)

 

Hope it helps!