Am I suitable for weight loss surgery?
Amongst other considerations, Body Mass Index or BMI is one of the key measurables that is taken into account when deciding if someone is a suitable candidate for weight loss surgery or not. BMI looks at your height and weight to determine an estimate of how healthy you might be:
- Healthy weight: Your BMI is between 18.5 to 24.9
- Overweight: Your BMI is between 25 to 29.9
- Obese: Your BMI is over 30
- Morbidly Obese: Your BMI is over 40
In this country, the National Institute for Health and Care Guidelines (NICE) guidelines state that you can be considered for weight loss surgery:
If your BMI is over 50 (as a first line treatment)
Or if you have already tried non-surgical methods and been unsuccessful, provided that you have:
A BMI of over 40
A BMI of over 35 and you have a condition linked to obesity e.g. Type 2 Diabetes, Sleep Apnoea, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatty liver disease, joint problems, arthritis, heartburn, indigestion or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (POS).
A BMI of over 30 and you have recently been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes
Here at The Hospital Group, we will consider consulting a patient for surgery if their BMI is 30 or above…
Most patients who come to see us have already tried many non-surgical methods of weight loss through diet and exercise and have been unsuccessful in maintaining any weight they lose in the long-term.
Everyone is different, sometimes your BMI may only be 30 when you come to see us at your consultation, but it might have been higher in the past. You might also have a strong family history of obesity-related conditions which means that you may still benefit from surgery, even if you don’t necessarily fit the NICE criteria.
However, if a patient comes to us with a BMI of 30 or just above and haven’t tried non-surgical means of losing weight yet, we’d advise them to try diet and exercise first before going down the surgical route.
Is weight loss surgery is right for me?
Each weight loss procedure is different and comes with different advantages and disadvantages which will be discussed in your consultation. Based on your BMI, these are our general guidelines at The Hospital Group:
- BMI 30-32.9: Gastric band only
- BMI 33-34.9: Gastric band or sleeve
- BMI 35+: Gastric band, sleeve or bypass
- Type 2 diabetes: Gastric bypass is usually the best option
*This is meant as a guide only and isn’t a substitute for a face-to-face appointment with our Weight Loss Support Team. The best type of weight surgery for you will be decided in a comprehensive consultation with our bariatric experts.
Having your weight loss surgery with us
Although we have two hospitals, The Pines in Manchester and Burcot Hall in Bromsgrove near Birmingham. It’s important to consider that all of our weight loss surgeries take place at Burcot Hall Hospital. But you will have all of your pre and post-operative care appointments with our Weight Loss Support Team at one of our clinics nationwide, so we’re never too far away.
Burcot Hall is a centre of excellence as the UK’s largest weight loss facility and the biggest of its kind in Europe. This hospital is made up of 4 operating theatres and a minor surgery room, 30 en-suite bedrooms, all with free Wi-Fi and Freeview TV for your comfort. As well as specially designed consultation rooms.
All our hospitals are CQC registered and DDA compliant.
*For our patients with a particularly high BMI, there are some instances where they may not be able to have surgery at Burcot Hall and would have to go to an external facility at one of our partner hospitals (and so the cost would increase). For example, if their BMI is over 50 or if they have certain heart conditions or have had previous heart surgery.
Start your journey towards a healthier you today…
We know that weight loss isn’t easy, especially on your own. When you’ve tried following a balanced diet and exercising and it’s just not enough, weight loss surgery could be the start of that new lease of a life you’ve been waiting for.
Together we can achieve your goals of a healthy BMI, take the first step by getting in touch to see if weight loss surgery could be an option for you.