Is Bariatric Surgery the Right Option for Me?
- Don't rush into it - be sure you are ready, fully informed and psychologically prepared
- Remember, procedures are not a Magic Wand - there's some effort needed on your part, but you must rely on our help, too.
- Dieting fails, and is very difficult. Surgery helps you achieve permanent weight loss and improved health with much less effort
- If you are not willing to change, don't spend the money!
- Make sure you are big enough for the procedure
- All surgery carries a risk! But staying Obese is far more dangerous!
The decision to have obesity Surgery is something no patient should make lightly - it isn't a "spur of the moment" decision, and many patients only make the decision after months (or even years) of deliberation, often giving "conventional" attempts at weight loss or some of the more extreme forms of diet one last attempt before finally taking the plunge to go ahead with surgery. You must be absolutely sure in your own mind that surgery is the right choice for you, and that you are ready for the changes it will bring.
It is vital that you are psychologically ready for the changes that surgery will bring to your eating habits and your whole attitude to food, to ensure you really make a success of your weight loss after the surgery.
Weight Loss Surgery will transform your life, but you must be prepared for it: you must understand that eating will no longer play such a major part in your life, and you must be willing to work with us to make the most of the surgery. Surgery is a great tool to enable you to lose weight and keep it off - it is far easier to lose weight and sustain the weight loss than if you attempt to do it by diet, exercise and willpower alone, and the success rate is much, much higher, but it does require some effort and re-learning on your part. You will have to accept that it doesn't work as a magic wand, and once your operation is completed, you don't simply "wake up thinner next day" but have to work on adjusting your life and diet habits to help the process along. Light exercise after your surgery will help enormously!
We will give you lots of help, support and advice to enable you to do this. We work hard to make sure all our patients achieve long-term sustained weight loss following their procedure, but in the end - we tell everyone - surgery itself is only 25% of the equation, the other 75% is down to your willingness to accept the changes it brings and work with it.
You can see lots of positive comments about Cosmetic Bliss on the various Weight loss Surgery forums (for example, try searching for posts about Cosmetic Bliss on http://www.ukgastricband.co.uk and www.minimins.com to see what patients say) and on our Facebook page.
We have a reputation for honestly telling patients exactly what to expect, and we truly believe that spending several thousand pounds on a weight loss procedure is money thrown away unless you are genuinely ready to make the effort to change. We do our very best to make sure all our patients succeed in their weight loss, whether it is following surgery or intragastric balloon and if, after discussing your Obesity problem with you, we believe you are not yet at the point where you will benefit from the procedure we will simply advise you not to go ahead yet, not to waste your money, and postpone your decision until you really are ready.
Here are the basic requirements you must meet in order to be considered for surgery:
- Your BMI must be over 40.
- If your BMI is between 35 and 40, Dr Cierny will consider you for surgery if you have one or more of the "co-morbidities" associated with Obesity (the illnesses/medical conditions which are caused by or made worse by obesity, and which can, in many cases, be improved by sustained weight loss) There is a list of the most common co-morbidities on the main information pages for Gastric Banding and for the Sleeve Gastrectomy. You should be able to produce medical evidence of these conditions (or a note from your GP confirming you have the condition/s) if required.
- If you are a typical yo-yo dieter, and your BMI is below 40 right now, but has been higher in the past - and you have evidence of this - Dr Cierny may consider you suitable for surgery.
- You must have struggled with your obesity for several years
- You must have tried and failed to control weight by conventional diet/exercise ( ideally you should have sought help from your GP or weight loss clinic, or tried to lose weight through organised weight loss groups, or consulted a nutritionist or some other professional source in the past)
Every case is looked at on its merits, so if you are in any doubt, please contact us to discuss things. We're friendly, and happy to talk and advise you. There are many other factors which Dr Cierny considers when deciding if you are suitable for surgery. For example, Type II Diabetes is a very serious condition, which is often dramatically improved after Weight Loss Surgery, some ethnic groups are at risk of developing serious weight-related illnesses at lower BMI, and you are more likely to be at risk to your health if your excess weight is carried centrally - ie. you are "apple not "pear" shaped!
If your BMI is lower than will permit you to have surgery, you can consider an Intragastric Balloon as an aid to allow you to lose weight, although there is quite a lot of work needed on your part (and support from us) if you are to sustain the weight loss after a balloon is removed - they are really good if you need to lose 2-4 stone to "kick-start" weight loss and then are willing to maintain it by a good diet/exercise regime.
If in doubt.............just ask us!
