Gastric Band NHS
As a form of weight reduction a surgical weight loss operation is becoming increasingly popular in the UK.
If carried out privately the operation can be very expensive, probably in the region of £6000.
Fortunately in this country we have the benefit of the National Health Service or the NHS and a great number of Gastric Band, Gastric Bypass and similar surgical weight reduction operations are carried out in the UK each year under the umbrella of the National Health Service.
To be considered for an operation such as these on the NHS the essential first step is to see your doctor, he will assess you, advise you and should you meet the necessary criteria may refer you for further and more detailed assessment.
This will almost certainly begin with a referral to a dietitian, who again can offer you further help and support. If your eventual aim is that of an operation this can be a long way down the line, the application process is a lengthy and arduous one, with waiting lists of a year or more very commonplace in many regions.
Although the application process for a gastric band operation on the NHS can be a little tiresome this can in some ways be considered advantageous. You would pick up a lot of informed and useful advise along the way and may even be persuaded that there are realistic and viable alternatives to weight loss surgery.
In addition to the gastric band there are a number of alternative weight loss operations available on the NHS in the UK. These are free at the point of use.
The Gastric Bypass is particularly effective although it is a much larger and more drastic operation than the gastric band. The gastric bypass is often recommended to patients who are considered extremely obese and it can be an effective treatment for certain forms of diabetes. It is however irreversible unlike the gastric band which can be removed at any time.
Other new forms of weight loss surgery are emerging all the time, one of the newer ones is the gastric balloon which is a non invasive and safe procedure requiring no actual incision as the gastric balloon is fed down the throat and then inflated once in the stomach to give a permanent feeling of fullness.
It is however only a short term solution as the balloon has to be removed for safety reasons after a period of about six months.
As always and with any form of weight loss surgery it is absolutely essential that you first consult your doctor and follow his advise meticulously. It may very well be that he will suggest alternatives to surgery which you may wish to explore before taking the far more drastic step of a surgical operation.
Which ever route you decide to take, whether it be a gastric band operation or some other form of weight loss surgery, or maybe you would first choose to explore conventional weight loss techniques, all anyone can do is wish you all the luck in the world.
Good luck.
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