Weight Loss Surgery Abroad

Going abroad for your Bariatric Surgery?

Surgical Advisor believe that people tempted by cheap bariatric (obesity) surgery abroad, are taking unnecessary risks with their health and safety and potentially face large hidden costs for a substandard medical service, as well as poor surgical outcomes.

What do the experts say?

The British Obesity Surgery Patient Association (BOSPA) warn patients that taking a decision to go abroad for their surgery can lead to a patient having a procedure and placing their life in the hands of a surgeon who they often know very little about and would not meet until they are on the operating table.

So just what's so wrong with going abroad?
Ten things you need to know before you decide!

1. If you go abroad your surgeon is unlikely to be a GMC registered FRCS surgeon with recognised specialist qualifications related to bariatrics and in gastro-intestinal surgery and endoscopic surgery. This may mean that you are putting your trust, future appearance and life in the hands of someone who is not fully trained, not adequately qualified and not appropriately experienced.
2. If you go abroad your hospital provider will not be registered with the Health Care Commission and may be ill equipped, inappropriately staffed and unable to cope with serious medical conditions. This could become especially concerning if your health deteriorates in anyway during or after a procedure.
3. If you go abroad your hospital provider may not be a proper hospital at all, but a simple clinic carrying out procedures with twilight anaesthetic because it is not licensed to provide full anaesthetics. Twilight anaesthetic is a method of sedating patients so that they will not be unconscious during their procedure, just heavily sedated. Sedation methods do not suit everyone, particularly those of an anxious or squeamish disposition or those who become easily nauseated.
4. If you go abroad you should bare in mind that it is difficult to accurately predict how long some will take to recover from the effects of sedation drugs following a procedure. This means that some patients will be safe to leave the clinic before others and those who are not, will be discharged regardless, as unlike a hospital, a clinic is not licensed or equipped to keep patients in overnight when extra recovery time is needed.
5. If you go abroad and have a procedure in a clinic, rather than a registered hospital that runs on a 24-hour basis, you may face added difficulties if a sudden complication arises requiring emergency access to the care you need after your clinic is closed for the night. This can be a particular worry to those who spend an anxious night alone in a hotel bedroom, waiting for their clinic to open in the morning, especially when they are worried about their health and recovery.
6. If you go abroad and have a post-operative complication with your surgery such as; pain, wound healing, an infection, implant rejection or simply a poor result, you will be faced with the dilemma of either returning abroad when you are not feeling well or face the additional expense of having to pay a UK based surgeon to manage your complication.
7. If you go abroad, unlike surgery provided in the UK where patients are advised to rest at home recovering gently, a long journey from abroad involving uncomfortable travel, unhygienic and unsuitable surroundings and heavy suitcase lifting, hardly constitutes an ideal recovery environment in which a patient can rest, relax and recuperate.
8. If you go abroad you should take into account that the risk of a patient developing a Deep Vein Thombosis (DVT) after surgery is always higher than in those who have not had an operation. Add this to the well documented risk of developing a DVT following a flight and the risk of this serious and potentially life threatening complication automatically becomes greater.
9. If you go abroad and are unhappy with your ultimate surgical result, you will face the dilemma of baring the additional travel costs to return to a surgeon you have potentially lost faith in, or face the prospect of paying again for a UK based surgeon to correct the problematic surgery. 
10. If you go abroad rather than considering having your surgery in the UK; Surgical Advisor believe that you will risk putting short-term gain of saving a few hundred pounds and give up the 'peace of mind' that comes from making a value added investment to pay for the very best bariatric surgery and safest healthcare options money can buy.

If you are not going abroad where should you go and why?

At Surgical Advisor we specialise in protecting patients best interests by guiding them towards only recognised UK experts and safe healthcare options.
Surgical Advisor can be trusted to recommend and refer patients to only Consultant Gastrointestinal Surgeons with the most appropriate specialist training and experience in obesity surgery. Surgical Advisor will also ensure that you are appropriately guided towards consultants with the most skilled levels of experience in the procedure you are specifically interested in. 

Surgical Advisors strict criteria for bariatric surgeon selection is as follows:

• Surgeons must have held a Consultant Gastrointestinal Surgeon post in the NHS and Private Sector for a minimum of two years.
• Surgeons must be annually validated as 'fit to practice' in both the NHS & Private Sector and be fully registered with the General Medical Practice (GMC). www.gmc-uk.org
• Surgeons must have obtained a specialist qualification in Gastrointestinal surgery and endoscopic surgery and be part of the GMC's specialist register.
• Surgeons must be extensively experienced and acknowledged 'leaders in a specialist field' that specifically matches a patient's condition or procedure request. 
• Surgeons must be a member of a relevant professional UK body recognised for maintaining high standards of obesity surgery provision and the continuing professional development of its members, such as: The British Obesity Surgery Patient Association (BOSPA) www.bospa.org.uk)    

How do I find out if I am a suitable candidate for Bariatric Surgery?

At Surgical Advisor our surgeons will carry out a full evaluation of your individual needs and circumstances and provide you with a comprehensive verbal and written explanation of any recommended treatment or surgery.

Our Expert Consultant Surgeons understand the importance of the decision you are making when contemplating specialist Bariatric Surgery, so throughout your consultation you will be encouraged to ask as many questions as you wish and to take your time in making a decision to proceed with any treatment.

All surgical procedures, no mater how expertly or carefully they are performed, carry risk and the importance of a full evaluation and consultation with an expert Consultant in Bariatrics surgery to discuss your condition in relation to these risks, cannot be over emphasised.

To ensure that patients are comfortable with any recommendations or advice given in their consultation, all patients are asked to go away after a consultation for a cooling off period and think through all the information they have received.

If for whatever reason you are still not sure about the best course of action and wish to have further dialogue with your surgeon, you will not be expected to pay for a second consultation appointment.

How do I make a consultation appointment?

For further advice on how to make an appointment to consult with an Expert Consultant Surgeon in Bariatric Surgery: 

Please call Surgical Advisor on: 0870 41 41 41 2
Or email us by clicking on: advice@surgicaladvisor.com