BBC Breakfast 18th October 2012

[Lush121]

Hi, did anyone else see the short piece on bariatric surgery today on BBC Breakfast (guess it might be on iPlayer if you missed it)?

They interviewed a surgeon, a woman who had had a bypass last year, and the daughter of a woman who had died following surgery.

I think it was run because there is a report out saying that follow up after surgery is less than ideal in many, many cases, and people are left to cope on their own. And also all the risks associated with the op, and need for lifestyle change post-op are not spelt out to everyone.

I just wondered how people here felt if they did see it. From my own experience I was a little concerned that one or two of the women I attended the pre-op assessment with, and who I later met post-op in hospital seemed uninformed about the procedure they had had and what was involved. I was only more informed because I had been reading around the issue for a couple of years.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[1974rach]

I haven't seen it but I will watch it with interest later! I heard about it on the radio on the way to work so thought I'd have a look on the BBC website.

I have to say I have no complaints regarding how the hospital have dealt with me, I've had psychological assessments to check I am prepared for surgery, I've seen the bariatric team and have had a very thorough explanation as to the procedure, but I've also read around the subject as well so that I feel that I'm informed and that am making the best decision for me and that I am aware of how much my life will change.

I have been quite shocked though at how some people have reacted - they are of the opinion I am taking the easy option and that once I've had surgery I won't need to do anything - this is far from an easy option!

My gastric sleeve will only do part of the work by restricting how much I can eat, the rest is up to me.

Sometimes it is easier to sensationalise surgery, it provokes reactions from people such as being obese is self inflicted so why should the NHS pay? It is easy to judge when you are not directly affected, but I often wonder if people would be so judgemental if they had a close friend or family member going through the process.

xxx

 

[JoeH]

Sky News have just ran a feature on aftercare. Trying to buck the trend in gastric bands being a 'trivial option' for those trying to lose weight. Reports indicate a lot of patients do not recieve full information or aftercare advice once being post op. Personally if that were me, I'd ring around and ask for advice or there's always this thing in front of you (internet).

 

[widdershins]

Ive just vented some anger on my journal, in the Bronze Diary section....

 

[Paul-H]

Missed this bit and unfortunately the BBC don't put Breakfast on iPlayer, anyone know if its been put on YouTube.

Paul

 

[julesburns]

Hi. This was on last nights news. If you check the bbc news home page and find the story you will no doubt find the video too. I did feel sorry for the daughter who's mum died. However without saying what the complications were, it's hard to accept that she died as a direct result of having a bypass.

 

[Maphillips]

I saw this and think it was done quite bad shown to many negatives no positives
But only thing I agreed with is the after care is not to good when I had my band in 2008 had fill visits but only 6 months off dietician advice and only had 3 visits
Felt left alone out there but feel more after care now
So think they have improved a lot but i will see
Mark

 

[Lush121]

Hi. This was on last nights news. If you check the bbc news home page and find the story you will no doubt find the video too. I did feel sorry for the daughter who's mum died. However without saying what the complications were, it's hard to accept that she died as a direct result of having a bypass.

There is a mortality rate associated with bypass of about 1 in 200. I knew this when I had my surgery but decided to go ahead. The risks can be from having an anaesthetic when you are very overweight, but there is also the risk of haemorrhage, the wound breaking down, infection etc., any one of those can be very serious.

 

[lyzzyanne]

I feel I was very informed when I went into my surgery I read up on everything that I had heard about, you know complications, dumping, surgery issues, the works, BUT a woman in the same hospital who had her operation the day before me was asked if she wanted a cup of tea, she said yes, but asked for and was given four packets of sugar to put in it!!!! I said to her that could cause her problems and she said she didn't think it would, she felt that as she had eaten nothing for a few days she would benefit from the sugar boost. She said she couldn't drink tea without it!!!

Well the inevitable happened she was violently ill with docs called back to her bedside trying to work out what was going on.

My point is she must have had the same info as me, how come she didn't pick up that there were consequences to four sugars in a cup of tea???

I think the hospital need to make sure that people really understand what they are getting into, mind you how would they know, if someone is hell bent on having the op, they are likely to agree to anything the dietian told them.

Just my view, difficult subect.

 

[stubad]

more negative press for the biggest money and life saving surgical procedure performed to date

 

[JoeH]

It's so easy for the press to lay into this problem. 'Diet and excersise, mate!' Yeah, try humping this weight around for a day and see how you feel aftewards.

What really irks me is when people slam the NHS for funding such operations... 'why should I be paying for your gluttony'? Thing is and I'll type this slowly...overweight people pay into the NHS as well.

 

[Lush121]

What really irks me is when people slam the NHS for funding such operations... 'why should I be paying for your gluttony'?

The correct answer to this is "For the same reason that our taxes pay for an NHS that offers treatment to people who crash their cars, get a spinal injury playing rugby, get lung cancer because they smoke, become HIV positive because they don't use condoms"

 

[JoeH]

The correct answer to this is "For the same reason that our taxes pay for an NHS that offers treatment to people who crash their cars, get a spinal injury playing rugby, get lung cancer because they smoke, become HIV positive because they don't use condoms"

That as well.

 

[girlygirl1]

I watched this report live on TV and it seemed to me that the intention was to highlight the lack of sufficient, comprehensive information on offer to many WLS patients pre-op, and to also point out that in many cases follow-up care is far from adequate. Whether funding is NHS or private certain standards need to be met; what you are or are not told should not be left to the provider's discretion, only.

WLS is no longer comparatively rare - more and more people are opting for surgery, and many WLS patients are teenagers; surely patients deserve to be given, as a right, all current information? Without this it is not possible to make a truly informed decision.

Post-op patient support and aftercare, in particular, still leave a lot to be desired. This was the case in 2006 when a close friend had R n Y Gastric Bypass, and it is still the case, now, as countless posts here illustrate.

I may have missed something but I found this report critical of certain providers, not WLS, itself.