Why Consider Weight Loss Surgery?
'Bariatric Surgery has been proven to be the most effective treatment for Obesity'
Weight Loss (Bariatric) Surgery is the only proven long-term effective treatment for those individuals suffering from Obesity or long-term excess weight issues.
It has now become the most common type of abdominal surgery performed in Australia and in most countries around the world.
Over the last 15 years, between 20,000 and 28,000 patients have undergone Weight Loss Surgery in Australia every year.
If you are morbidly obese, overweight by more than 20-30 kilograms, or have battled Obesity for many years, Weight Loss Surgery may be the solution you have been looking for.
Weight Loss (Bariatric) Surgery can facilitate weight loss and improve the overall quality of your life.
It can improve and prevent weight related medical conditions as well as increase your life expectancy.
Many International Medical Federations, including the International Diabetic Federation (IDF) now endorse Weight Loss Surgery for its well proven health benefits. The IDF published a 'Position statement on Bariatric Surgery for Type 2 Diabetes'.
Thousands of
'Scientific Research Papers'
and 'Journal Articles'
have been published by 'Medical Federations'
worldwide.
The proven benefits of Weight Loss Surgery include:
- Can prevent patients developing serious weight related medical problems (such as Type 2 Diabetes)
- Can improve or cure many weight related medical problems
- Can improve patients quality of life and life expectancy
Read more about published 'Scientific Evidence on the benefits of Bariatric Surgery' below.
Am I a Candidate for Weight Loss Surgery?
To qualify for Weight Loss Surgery you will need an Obesity Diagnosis with a qualified doctor.
An adult with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or over is considered Obese and would be eligible for Weight Loss Surgery.
Our specialist surgeon, Dr Michael Hatzifotis will assess whether your BMI or excess weight, poses a health risk and determine whether you are a candidate for Weight Loss Surgery.
An individual’s BMI is usually a good indicator of body fat for most people, however, BMI should not be used alone to assess Obesity because BMI does not differentiate between body fat and muscle mass. Those with a lot of muscle bulk will have a high BMI, but are not necessarily overweight or obese.
Dr Hatzifotis will calculate an individual BMI, but will also conduct further assessments.
Further assessments for the diagnosis of Obesity include:
- Blood Tests
- Physical Examination
- Review of Family History
- Waist Measurement
- Skinfold Thickness Measurements
- Evaluation of Diet & Physical Activity
Reasons to proceed with Weight Loss Surgery with Dr Hatzifotis
Dr Michael Hatzifotis
Our Surgeon, Dr Michael Hatzifotis is an extensively trained General, Bariatric & Upper GI surgeon with meticulous surgical skills and a warm & compassionate bed side manner.
He has performed well over 8,500 General, Gastro-Intestinal & Weight Loss procedures combined in the last 20 years.
He will provide you with a safe, personalised, advanced and effective service that is readily accessible and affordable.
He provides a comprehensive After Care Program to treat and manage your health and to ensure your wellbeing.
'Our Expert Multi-Disciplinary Team Are friendly, experienced and supportive'
Our Expert Multi-Disciplinary Team, including a GP, Psychologist & Dietitians, work collaboratively with Dr Hatzifotis & are committed to supporting you each step of your weight loss journey.
Dr Hatzifotis and his Team have designed a Health Management Program to help you manage life following surgery and support you through your complete weight loss journey.
Our expert Team will provide you with ongoing management and guidance to help you achieve and maintain your weight loss goal.
Dr Hatzifotis and his Team recommend Weight Loss Surgery to be combined with a healthy diet and physical activity to maintain a healthy life.
Read more about
Our Health Management Program.
'Safe & Effective Procedures'
Our Surgeon, Dr Michael Hatzifotis has performed more than 5,000 weight loss procedures since 2008 and continues to develop & improve his practice & techniques to provide the highest possible standard of care.
He focuses on
meticulous surgical technique & follows strict post-operative standards. He is well regarded for his
extremely low complication rates, amongst the lowest in the world
He guarantees comprehensive medical care with effective surgical treatment for optimal durable results.
Dr Hatzifotis has an incredibly experienced and meticulous team of specialists, including Anaesthetists, Assistant Surgeons, Theatre nurses and Ward nurses, providing the highest possible standard of care whilst in hospital.
Published Scientific Evidence on the Benefits of Weight Loss Surgery
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) found the following results following Obesity Surgery:
- Bariatric surgery is an appropriate treatment for people with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and severe obesity BMI>35.
- Surgery should be prioritized for severely Obese patients with Type 2 DM.
- Under some circumstances people with BMI 30-35 should be considered for surgery (HbA1c>7.5% despite fully optimized conventional therapy, especially if weight increasing, or if other weight related co-morbidities not achieving targets on conventional therapies ie: BP, cholesterol, sleep apnoea).
- Some ethnicities, a lower BMI of 27.5 - 32.5 may be considered
- Surgery to be integrated as treatment option for Type 2 DM along with lifestyle modification and pharmacological therapy
The Swedish Obese Subjects Trial (SOS) found the following results following Obesity Surgery:
The Swedish Obese Subjects Trial (SOS) was one of the largest trials comparing Surgical and Non-Surgical treatments for Obesity, with 4047 patients studied in a controlled trial with an average follow-up >10 years.
| Surgical Group | Non-Surgical Group |
|---|---|
| Weight decreased 23% at 2 years | Weight increased 0.1% at 2 years |
| Weight decreased 16% at 10 years | Weight increased 1.6% at 10 years |
| Food intake lower | Food intake higher |
| Physical energy higher | Physical energy lower |
| Reduced incidence Diabetes, Hypertension & Hypercholesterolaemia | More medical problems |
| Reduced medications and cost of medications | More medications & higher costs |
| Better scores on quality of life (QOL) | Lower quality of life scores |
‘Bariatric Surgery - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’
Was published (JAMA 2004;292:1724) in 2004, which summarized 136 studies on Weight Loss Surgery and examined more than 22,000 patients.
In summary, this meta-analysis examined the effect of Weight Loss Surgery on the
co-morbidities associated with Obesity and found that Weight Loss Surgery was associated with significant cure or improvement in:
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Hyperlipidemia
- Sleep Apnoea
- Reflux
- Urinary Incontinence
The Bariatric Surgery Meta- Analysis also proved the following results following Weight Loss Surgery:
- Reduces overall and cause-specific mortality
- Reduces medication costs
- Reduces sick days
- Improves Quality of Life
- Benefits strongest in BMI >40
- 61% mean overall EWL (excess weight loss)
- Greatest weight loss with Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass
- Overall mortality < 1%
- Morbidity approx 20%
See Table below for results:
| MEDICAL CONDITION | % RESOLVED | % IMPROVED |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 77% | 86% |
| Hypertension | 62% | 79% |
| Hyperlipidemia | >70% | |
| Obstructive Sleep Apnoea | 86% | 84% |
| Gastroesphageal Reflux | ||
| Urinary Stress Incontinence | Decreased by 47% |