Because we specialise in weight loss surgery…
Southwest Bariatric Surgery Group specialises in weight loss surgery – we are not a cosmetic surgery company who has seen this as a business expansion opportunity. We started the service in 2003 and now have eight surgeons undertaking operations in six cities in the South and West of England. All of our surgeons are experienced consultant Bariatric surgeons who also have NHS practices. Collectively, our surgeons have performed over 2,000 operations (on both NHS and private patients) over the past three years.
Because we are an international Centre of Excellence…
Southwest Bariatric Surgery Group is the only private service in the UK to hold the prestigious international status of Bariatric Surgery Centre of Excellence. This was awarded in 2009 after our assessment and inspection by the American Surgery Review Corporation on behalf of the American Society of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery (ASBMS). In the UK there are only three bariatric surgeons who hold certification for Excellence in Bariatric Surgery from the ASBMS and they are all in our team! We also have the only internationally qualified Bariatric Specialist Nurse in our team.
Because we offer lifetime aftercare and deliver it locally…
Although most clients considering weight loss surgery focus initially on the operation itself, they soon realise that access to the team for good follow up care is critical to their successful weight loss. We hold clinics in all of the hospitals in our group every fortnight at least, and clients are welcome to attend any one of our clinics. Appointments can be arranged the same day if necessary and, within our aftercare packages, there is no limit on the number of appointments or band adjustments within the first two years of surgery. Aftercare is individually tailored to suit your needs – we focus on making sure that your eating habits are adjusted to get the best of your treatment and check that your food intake is nutritionally balanced. A huge change of body image can also take a while to get used to so our psychologist and counsellor can be helpful along the way too.
Because our results are excellent…
We keep track of how our patients are doing for the long term, even if they move to live overseas! And our results are excellent – better than most papers in medical literature.
• The average weight loss for our Gastric Band clients after two years is 36kg (5st 5lbs)
• The average weight loss for our Gastric Bypass clients after two years is 46kg (7 st 3lbs)
• The average weight loss for our Gastric Balloon clients is 10kg (1st 8lbs)
• There have been no deaths
• 1 bypass client developed an early complication (within 30 days of surgery) which required a further operation (0.7%)
• 2 bypass clients developed late complications (more than 30 days after surgery) which required surgery to correct (1.5%)
• 8 clients have had band slippages (2.2%), 8 have had tubing or port repairs (2.2%) and 7 have had port site infections (2%)
• 4 clients have had their Gastric Bands removed (1.1%) and three of these have subsequently had Gastric Bypass operations
• 5 clients have delivered healthy full term babies since their surgery
Click here to view more details of our most recent outcome results (September 2009).
Because we listen to the feedback from our clients…
Each quarter we evaluate the feedback from our clients and discuss comments and trends within our team and with the hospital managers. Clients often suggest ideas for ways we can communicate better and several of these have been incorporated in this expanded new website! To read the summary of our latest client feedback, click here (September 2009).
Because we care…
We care because we know where you are coming from….several of us on the team have had weight loss surgery ourselves and we understand the enormity of the decision you are making and the help and support you need along your journey. Those on the team who have not had this treatment have learned through years of experience in this field how to best help you – we won’t treat you like someone who is simply having an operation.
Because we care that you make the right decision in the first place, we offer a free no-obligation one-on-one consultation to start with – a chance to review your personal health and dietary history and discuss the options that are available to you before you invest any of your hard earned cash. Because we care that you achieve your goals we only offer full lifetime aftercare packages so that there are no barriers to you accessing the services you require in your weight loss phase.
For example, we understand the process of discovery of the new person who has been hiding inside your fat body – this is not always a comfortable process and you may shed an eating demon only to replace it with another if you are not aware! A lot of this is what we call the touchy-feely aspect of treatment and that is why you need access to a multidisciplinary clinical team and also the chance to share your experiences with likeminded individuals.
