Stomach Surgery

Stomach Surgery is one of the most widely carried operations in the UK and hundreds of patients go under the knife for cosmetic reasons and operations that are a health necessity. There are different stomach operations that one can undergo and surgery can be carried out as a person’s own choice or through a doctor’s recommendation. Surgery can be done to help with obesity problems and curbing appetite or to deal with problems that are causing daily pain such as a hernia or ulcers; cancer patients may also require surgery if the stomach is affected.

Choosing where to have surgery?

In the UK a patient will have the choice to receive stomach surgery through the NHS or by a private hospital. NHS stomach surgeries will only be carried out on patients who have a medical necessity to receive it. NHS treatment will be carried out free of charge although many patients will find that waiting lists are long and could be left waiting for weeks or possibly months for surgery. The NHS being free does make it the best option for people who cannot afford the large costs of private hospitals.

Many people will opt to have surgery done through a private hospital if they are able to easily afford it. For people that do have the funds available, private stomach surgery is often the best choice in terms of medical care and staff ability. NHS and private hospitals will be no different; doctors, nurses and surgeons are trained to the same levels in both sectors. What makes the private hospitals more appealing is the fact surgery can be carried out quickly without the need for any waiting lists.

Patients choosing a private hospital can often undergo surgery just a few days after a consultation has been carried out, they are also able to rely on the fact that the surgeon carrying out the consultation will also be the one carrying out the operation unlike the NHS which generally conducts consultations and operations as a team.

Needing stomach surgery

There are various different kinds of stomach surgery operations that are carried in the UK, hundreds of thousands of operations are done on a yearly basis.

The most common need for surgery on the stomach is obesity. There are various ways and methods in which surgery carried out to tackle obesity, all with the ultimate aim of lowering a patients weight. As in any case, surgery is considered a last resort, a GP may first suggest a change of diet and furthering on from that a gastric balloon which is a non- surgical procedure to inserted orally to partially fill the stomach.

Weight loss surgery is only considered for people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 40, people with a BMI of between 30 and 40 that coincides with another medical problem such as diabetes or high blood pressure are also considered eligible for surgery.

For surgery to be carried out on any stomach problem it is wise to first arrange to speak to your GP.